Giovanni of the Land
by Cajun Charmer
Summary: Silph Corporation. An evil company, with a far more evil motive. When one man tries to stop them, he is twisted with propaganda and lies, so everyone believes he is evil. Giovanni wants to stop the evil ways of Silph, and how pokemon are truly created.
1. Spawn of the Land

_I have to let you all in on a little secret. This is the first serious fan fiction I have ever written, so go easy on it. I had this idea when I was playing Pokemon FireRed, and reading Wicked in the same hour. I thought 'What if Giovanni was just misunderstood' and it all came from there. Anyway, the story starts with his parents, now, I have no idea who is parents are so i made some nice character up for them. ALSO! I do NOT own any pokemon, or the few references that I make. To simply fanfic, nothing else._

She placed a large black hat on her head, which dropped lifelessly round it, covering her hazel eyes; she lifted the front flap of the hat, and smiled at her husband.

"I think I've finally found something to counteract this pregnancy" She tilted the hat to one side and smiled again "What do you think?"

"It goes very nicely with that dress" Her husband answered, looking up briefly from his file work.

"You like my dress?" She gave him a clumsy spin, in the eighth month of pregnancy finesse is one of those skills forgotten.

"Not really" He answered casually, careful not to make a smile.

"Oh?" She waddled over to him and spoke into his ear seductively "Perhaps you'd like me with _no_ dress on"

"Maybe" He answered "but to be frank…you're eight months pregnant, perhaps we should wait for your erotic-metre to flush out before we start that again… maybe, Gina?"

"Ugggh" Gina melodramatically fell backwards onto the bed "It'll have to come out soon" She whined stroking her stomach softly.

"Give it another month" Her husband said, piling all his papers and placing all his pens in their respective places. He got up from his seat and looked down at his wife.

"At most?" She asked, perching her self on her elbows.

"At least" he laughed lovingly at her, as she fell down onto the soft mattress again, sighing deeply.

"Don't grow impatient with the poor thing; it's not its fault"

"No, it's yours, and you've got some nerve talking about impatience" Gina jokingly said, scooting her way to the headboard and leaning on it comfortably.

"My…my fault?"

"You know perfectly well it's your fault…not two weeks after our honeymoon do I realise that you were too much of an impatient, sex-o-holic and had planted this thing inside of me" She pointed to her protruding stomach.

"I see no reason to place the blame on me" He sat down on the bed next to his wife "If I remember correctly half of what happened that night was_ your_ doing. It's all well and true to blame the man for an un-wanted pregnancy, simply because it's the woman that gets pregnant. Blame a woman for it and your chauvinistic, blame a man for it and you're a feminist heroine, its all part of this fake 'respect' we all have to show for you, it's just the woman's insecurity showing through and we're all too nice to do anything about it"

"Is that really what you think, Arthur?" Gina asked, raising a sceptical eyebrow at his crusade for masculinity speech. "That the whole feminist culture is created by men simply trying to be 'nice'?"

"I'm just saying that the men are always blamed for things when the blame really should be split fifty-fifty" Arthur lay his head down on his pillow, Gina shook her head and picked up her book from the bedside table.

"I don't know why you're mad" Gina said, putting her reading glasses on and continuing with her book "You were perfectly happy with me a few minutes ago, and now you can't stand women"

Arthur opened his eyes and looked up his wife "I never said I couldn't stand women, you're just being touchy. I can stand _you_ anyway" Gina looked sternly at her husband for a moment, before taking off her glasses and putting down her book.

"I'm a woman you know" Gina said scornfully, "If you can't stand women, than how can you stand me?"

"Didn't you hear a word I just said?" Arthur pushed himself up and leant his back against the head board "I never said I couldn't stand women, I just said"

"So you just can't stand me" Gina interrupted, moping.

"Oh sweet Kanto" Arthur said to himself "I'm not having this goddamn conversation with you again, it always ends the same way"

"Oh, Arthur, you have such a way with words" Gina said, folding her arms.

"And you've got such a way with manipulating them" Arthur lay his down on his pillow and closed his eyes; Gina gazed down at him, a weird look on her face.

"You're not seriously going to sleep in you clothes are you?" she looked at his as off she had just gotten into bed with a snail, a look of utter repulse that made Arthur's spine tingle.

"I've had a long day, Gina; I'd just like to get some rest" He sighed once and closed his eyes again.

"Will it really take _so_ much effort to change?" Gina asked, urging him to move "You're only in the your thirties, Arty, when all you do is sit and sort out insurance papers and occasionally go to the bathroom or the kitchen, it does not tire you out so much that you can't change one set of clothes for another "

"But, I'm already in bed, I'm nearly asleep, I might as well-" He was interrupted by Gina who has forcefully pushed him out of bed. Arthur got up, rubbing his head, checking to see if it was bleeding.

"You pushed me out of bed" Arthur said simply, looking at Gina with suppressed rage "You actually pushed me out of bed, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me, I'm-" Gina stopped rising from the bed and held her stomach supportively, her expression changed from one of anger to one of shock in the space of less than a second. "I'm in labour"

"In this day and age, you would think you could higher a babysitter after nine o'clock" Gina said putting down the phone and wrapping a scarf around her thin neck. After the baby was born she had restricted her self to one meal a day and had, as a solution, got as thin as a garden rake.

"Couldn't you find one then?" Arthur asked from the kitchen doorway, tying a bowtie round his neck, seeming to have trouble with it.

"What, are we now the richest family in Celadon?" Gina asked "We should have a nanny, Arty, with all this excess money lying around we should do something practical with it"

"It's wasting it, Gina" Arthur said, entering the hallway with a sad mess of knots around his neck. "I worked hard for this money"

"You worked hard?" Gina retorted, taking off his bowtie and tying again for him "I distinctly remember my parents giving you the money you apparently needed.

"And since then it's been doubled, tripled and now even quadrupled" Gina finished his tie and walked over to the phone again, where she dialled a few numbers into it and waited for an answer.

"But without the starting money, your career would have been as fucked as- oh; hello is Holly Henderson there, please?" Gina closed her eyes in embarrassment causing Arthur's eyes to role as he ventured up the stairs, Arthur, since the birth of his son, had put on a few pounds and now carried with him an innocent plumpness which didn't really help his persona as it wasn't suited to having such a jolly overtone to it. He reached the top of the stairs and walked to a door which he quietly opened and peered in side, there was his son, Giovanni Arthur Blazer. Arthur walked stealthily over to his son and stroked his hairless head, he was sound asleep, his mouth moving with the way his dreams went. He was a beautiful boy; his vibrant glazed, hazel eyes were almost a fiery orange, like a demon's eyes. You could see the prominent marking of bristle on his head, where hair was soon to come, and if he was anything like his father it would be a deep dark brown, black to the eye.

"To think you weren't wanted" He tucked him in tightly, forcing the baby to wake up, he neither screamed or squirmed, he stared, stared right through him.

"You've got great eyes, Gevvy" His father smiled at him and kissed his forehead "A gambler's eyes, just like your father"

From down stairs Gina called "Holly said she'd be over in a few minutes, do you think we should leave now?"

"We can't leave the baby alone" Arthur answered, coming down the stairs in a handsome tuxedo, with golden cufflinks and a plastic rose pinned to his pocket. "What if something happens?"

"Arthur" Gina went over to comfort him "Don't worry so, in the space of two minutes what could possibly happen?"

"It's the done thing"

"You know what else the done thingis?" Gina took her coat off its hook and put it on, straightening her luscious brown hair afterwards. "_Not _missing a party held in _your_ honour at _your_ casino" She threw him his coat and smiled at him cheekily. "She'll be here any minute"

"I just feel uncomfortable" Arthur said across at his wife, he was driving down a busy road, with neat driving gloves on, an obvious sign of wealth and pretension.

"What's wrong, the tux?" she sighed "They guaranteed full comfort for the rest of its years"

"There's nothing wrong-" he was cut short

"That's it, I'm taking it back first thing tomorrow, I can't stand all this shit that gets spread around when your simply trying to buy something, always talking it up like it were god's chosen tux, or god's chosen food processor, or god's chosen yoghurt, it simply makes me sick-" Gina was interrupted.

"Not literally uncomfortable, Gina, the tux is great, it's very comfortable" Arthur patted her bare shoulder and noticed the chill he got from her "You're freezing" He took off his jacket, while carefully keeping an eye on the road. He then draped it loosely around her shoulders. "Anyway, about the baby, little Gevvy"

"Yes, little Gevvy" She smiled across at him "Giovanni?"

"What?" Arthur turned his full attention to Gina, before quickly turning his eyes back to the road "That was my father's name"

"Yes, but it doesn't exactly exude cuteness" Gina smiled "It sounds like master criminals name, Master Giovanni, head of the CND" Gina laughed and looked at her husband, who had an expression of stone by this time "I'm only joking, Hun"

"I always thought the name sounded cool" Arthur sighed to himself "What does the CND stand for?"

"No, it'll just make you madder" Gina laughed lightly again, he pulled her close to him and kissed her cheek, driving with only one hand.

"I'm not mad, I like the way you make fun of everything…even though it's goddamn annoying sometimes" He chuckled and kissed her head.

"Okay…Crappy name department, that's all, you've heard me bad name it before"

"Yeah" Arthur smiled again "Have you heard anymore news on the alien capture?"

"Yes actually, they've got it up in Saffron" Gina got out of Arthur's hug and leant back against the seat "Silph has got hold of it"

"Silph?" Arthur furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, putting his other hand on the steering wheel "What do they want with it?"

"Well, what does anyone want with it?" Gina asked "I imagine they want to make a little profit from it, show it to the public, make a little alien attraction theme park from it"

"That does sound like what they'd do" Arthur let out a little laugh "Remember when people thought their were asteroids at Pewter, they excavated the entire place, made a permanent cave their"

"I know, they never even found anything" Gina straightened out her gloves "Who was the one who nick named it Mount Moon?"

"Uh, one of the guys at my casino, Parker, I think" Arthur answered "Hey, we're here" Arthur pulled up outside a large colourful building, with neon lights covering the outside, even from outside an aura of a party could be felt, there was always a feeling Arthur had about parties, he could sense them. This was his birthday after all, his wife had said she invited a few close friends, neighbours and family, he sensed that the whole of Celadon city was in there waiting for him, which turned his stomach and made him swallow nervously.

"Just think, not two months ago this was a dump" Gina said, getting out of the car and looking up at the towering building. "You really are a genius, Arty"

"I like to think so" Arthur said to himself whilst getting out the car "Can I have my jacket back?" Gina took the jacket off her shoulders and passed it to him.

"It's itchy anyway" Gina smiled and linked arms with her husband "Shall we?"

They entered through the double doors and were welcomed grandly with a loud applause. Inside it was a high ceiling with glass chandeliers hanging in rows across it. The slot machines were moved to the side and the poker tables and roulette were in full use, surrounded by gentlemen in full evening wear and ladies in sparkling dresses.

"Any later and we'd have grown worried" said a gravely voice from the crowd, out of it emerged a small, fat man by the name of Parker. His little round glasses were at the tip of his nose and his little grey beard was combed straight down, which made a change from the messy, tangled state it was in usually.

"Parker" Arthur said shaking the stout man's hand "My humblest apologies, it was the damn babysitter, couldn't find one on time"

"No apologies needed, it's the service in Celadon, the economy, it's collapsing into a slum" Parker said darkly "Until now of course, the coming of this game house has caused the entire city to flourish. We owe it all to you, Arty"

"That's a little exaggerated isn't it, Parker?" Gina asked, linking her arms with her husband again

"I assure, my dear, I joke you not" Parker said, cleaning his glasses "The entire region of Kanto is under a giant boot, with Silph Co in hibernation at the moment. We need something grand in this country, Johto and even Hoenn have outshined us with new technology, just last week Devon. Corp up in Johto had developed a mobile technology in which telephones do not need to be connected to a land line, they've even made video phones readily available to the public. Unless something comes along soon…our country's in trouble" Parker placed his glasses back on and smiled. "But this is your special day, Arty, let's not worry about this just now, all this political crap, I know, bothers you"

"It makes him feel uncomfortable" Gina added, leaning her head on Arthur's shoulder and kissing his cheek.

"Well, lets find a table, continue this chat sitting down" Arthur said looking at his wife, then Parker, who nodded "Gina?"

"I'll join you later, it's just Lois is over there" Gina leaned and whispered into her ear "they say she had a job done on her face…I'd like to get a closer look"

Arthur smiled and kissed his wife, before she walked over to a very plastic looking Lois.

"I took the liberty of reserving a table" Parker said "it's over by the kitchen; I'll go get us some drinks"

Parker left in the direction of the bar, while Arthur was left to find his table, he shuffled through the crowds of people, looking for the kitchen door. Although actually having the idea of the casino, paying for its construction and visiting it every weekend, he had little knowledge of where everything was, It wasn't up to him to build it…just to manage it.

He soon found an empty table, fairly close to the kitchen; he could only assume that was the one.

"You found the table then?" Parker said, waiting impatiently across it "I got the drinks and still managed to beat you here, I know this place better than you do, did you get lost or what?"

"I was distracted, someone needed to know where the bathroom was" Arthur lied, not to save him self from embarrassment, mainly because he didn't like people giving him faults. Anything he couldn't do, or handle, he would prefer never to be mentioned.

"You know where the bathrooms are then?" Parker asked, stirring his drink slowly, a sarcastic grin on his face,

"Of course"

"Where, then?"

"Next to the entrance" Arthur answered hesitantly.

"If that's what you told the person then you're going to have a very messy coat room" Parker laughed "The ladies and gents rooms are located on the second floor, didn't you know that?" he asked, holding up his drink.

"Parker, I didn't even know we had second floor" Arthur took a long drink then put his glass on the table "But seriously, what were you saying about Silph before?"

"Silph? You know they've got the creature, right?" Parker asked.

"Yeah…the alien"

"Please, lets avoid calling it an alien, I've seen the thing okay…it looks more like a ancient cat than an alien" Parker said knowingly.

"But the whole point about aliens is that you don't know what they'd look like" Arthur had experience in debates; the construction of the casino was only undertaken because of his way with persuasion.

"Call it what you will, Arty, the thing now resides in Saffron…and later on in the year they're importing it to Cinnabar Island, apparently they've constructed a million dollar laboratory especially for research on this thing. And the thing is, they've been very low on money the past few years…their must be some plan they're hatching, there must be. I know these people, I worked with them. They wouldn't take a chance like this…not when they're on the brink bankruptcy" Parker took another drink, and sighed heavily.

"Is something wrong?" Arthur asked.

"You know Mark Preece?" Parker asked, looking generally pained. "The 'blackjack master' as they call him?"

"I've never heard him called that, but yeah" Arthur raised an eyebrow "What about him? You're not in love are you?"

"No. He's coming this way" And he was right, Mark Preece was a particularly greasy looking man, his hair was combed into a side parting with as much gel as physically possible, he had a little goatee growing and was the only guest who was wearing a bright white tuxedo, he walked with a gentle finesse which gave off an arrogant vibe, that quite literally made you want to punch him.

"Hey, guys" He said smoothly nodding his head slightly with every word, looking like one of those novelty nodding dogs that sit at the back of cars.

"Hey, Mr.B, great party, great place as well, like what you've done with it. Seen my girlfriend around Parky?" He smiled smugly.

"No, where'd you buy her?" Parker asked, wisely.

"Ha! That's the thing I love about you guys, you always kid, and I love it. But seriously, seen my new gal?" He looked at both of them "She's quite a catch, but, hey, let's face it, can't get a good catch without good bate, right?" He elbowed parker in the side, forcing his glasses to fall off the end of his nose.

"Hey, Parky, watch out. So Arthur heard you and the misses had a little too much fun in the sack, what's the little bundle of joy called?"

"Giovanni"

"Ooooh, sinister" Mark said "How'd you talk the misses into calling him that?"

"We both agreed on it, me more than her…but still, it was a combined christening" Arthur took another swig of his drink and continued his conversation.

"Hey…Mark, you used to work with Silph didn't you?" He asked.

"Yeah, for about two days…those guys seriously cramp your style, they all, like advertise about being the buddies of the small people and everything, but they're just has stiff as the rest of the high powers out there" Mark smiled again "Which reminds me, thanks again for hiring me here, seriously, this has got to be the best job I've had…I'm good at it too, you know what I'm saying" Mark took a swig of Parker's drink "Seriously, getting paid for dealing cards and drinking from the bar, it's like heaven to me, man"

"You drink from the bar…for free?" Parker asked him, putting his glasses back on his nose.

"Well…yeah" Mark looked around "Doesn't everyone do that?"

"Does the barkeep know you do that?" Arthur asked "Because you're not supposed to, you still have to pay" Mark looked at both of them anxiously, before shrugging and laughing it off.

"I was only kidding with ya, would I drink? I'm not even twenty one yet" Mark said smoothly, putting Parker's drink slyly back onto the table.

"You're not twenty one yet?" Parker asked sternly.

"Well, hey, look! There's my girlfriend" Mark got off his seat and darted over to his girlfriend who was wondering round the room, with a clueless expression on her face.

"Young love" Arthur said, sighing dramatically.

"It's young something" Parker said, turning his attention back to Arthur "Why so interested in Silph all of a sudden?"

"The creature just interested me; I'm surprised it hasn't done the same to others, especially you. I was sure everyone would be" Arthur finished his drink and placed it on a passing waiter's tray.

"Arthur, I'm not interested because it's probably a fake or a hoax" He stroked his grey beard "It's only captured the imagination of a few people, you're one of the few, Arty, you're a believer"

"A believer? I believe the things real…I've seen it, I've heard stories"

"You've heard stories? You've seen it? Did it move?" Parker smiled wisely.

"It seemed pretty out of it"

"I've seen this thing in real life, Arthur, it's made from suede and plaster, you could see it from a mile away" Parker looked more serious "I was sad as well, Arty, I was hoping the creature would be an angel, bearing gifts for the country, our saviour from the technical drought we're going through"

"But, Parker" Arthur said loudly, he looked around and whispered "You said they were taking it to Cinnabar, why would they do that if it were fake?"

"Of course they would say it were real…for all we know it was them who faked this thing, but believe me, if not as a friend, but as a lawyer. This thing is only propaganda, nothing more." Parker's serious tone was quickly countered by a charming laugh. "How about another drink? This is your birthday after all. Waiter!"

"Parker, is they're something you're not telling me" Arthur asked, his eyes transfixed on Parker, a look of complete curiosity on his face. This creature had sparked in him the wonder that was hidden away inside him, he wanted to know as much about this thing as possible, and see, maybe, if he could get in contact with it, see it, touch it. Arthur had a large collection of friends and contacts that were quite high up in the community; one of them must be involved with the business. "Parker?"

"Arthur" Parker whispered, "You have to keep your voice down about this. This thing is much bigger that people say it is, it's one of my many jobs to keep propaganda low on this"

"You even lied to me?" Arthur asked "I hold only the greatest interest in this thing; you could trust me with the information"

"It's not a case of trust or mistrust, Arthur, it's a case of my downfall or my well being. If Silph find out about me talking to you about this, they could ruin me. Arthur, they could kill me" Parker leant backwards and breathed out heavily.

"Don't be so melodramatic, they couldn't kill you"

"You really don't understand how powerful this company is, do you?" Parker said "To everyone apart from Silph and Devon and the other technical companies, the regions of the world are self-governing countries, but that is a not true. In this country Silph makes the decisions for all of us, that's why this region is falling apart, because Silph is out of ideas, and there for our country is on a standstill"

"But they've now got the Alien" Arthur said "Surely they could use it for something"

"They are, but its all hush hush at moment" Parker sighed again "But I believe they plan on reinstalling the cloning programme"

"They closed that years ago. There was a whole big law suit when someone was permanently brain damaged because of the outcome" Arthur said "Why would they want to resurrect that, it was what caused the beginning of their bankruptcy"

"Isn't it obvious?" Parker asked "They plan on cloning the creature…god knows why, but that's what they're doing

"What were you and Parker talking about?" Gina asked, taking off her gloves and placing them over the headrest of the car seat.

"Oh, uh. The casino mostly" He closed the car door and waited for his wife "And Politics"

"Politics?" She sighed deeply "Politics get you all riled up and angry, you're going to be in a bad mood all day tomorrow"

"Gina, I really wish you wouldn't patronise me, we were just talking about the U.FO." He smiled.

"It's not a U.F.O, honey" Arthur looked across at her "Was it flying?"

"No"

"Was it really an object?"

"No, it was an animal"

"And I'm sure it's not unidentified anymore" She smiled and leant back. "Why do you have such an interest in it? It's probably a fake" Arthur looked over at Gina, and smiled ever so slightly. It was his 'shut-up' smile that he pulled every once in a while, especially when it was a subject he didn't want to discuss. The rest of the trip was silent, only the very quiet hum of Arthur's brand new Devon Arc, which was an imported car from Johto. It was his second most important thing to him, apart from a red eyed rich boy, who resides, at this moment, in a crib.

The car suddenly stopped.

"What happened?" Gina asked "Why did you stop the car?"

"I didn't, it's out of gas" He tapped the metre.

"You didn't fill it up this morning?" Gina wasn't one to stay calm in situations "Why didn't you fill it up this morning?"

"I didn't go out this morning, you daft bat" Arthur secretly regretted saying that, but kept his expression to one of defence.

"What did you call me?" Gina sat up in her seat and stared menacingly at her husband.

"I think you heard me, Gina"

"Well I don't think I did, speak up, will you?" Gina's expression hardened "Come on, you… fat… bastard"

"Fat?"

"That's right, Fatty"

"You're fatter than I am" Arthur closed his eyes and regretted his words once again, comebacks weren't his speciality.

"What?" Her voice was shaking slightly.

"Heard that all right then…" He said to himself.

"Please repeat what you just said…"

"I said I love you?" He smiled sadly.

"One meal a day!" She shouted "One god damn meal a day! Do you know what that means?"

"I'm gonna take a random guess and say it means you have on meal a day"

"Shut up!" She was revved up for some insults, but she breathed heavily, and made it look like she was calming down "I remember what our therapist said, Arthur, so I am calling a taxi, and going home"

"You're just going to leave me here?"

"You can come too, if you want" She opened the car door and scooted out "But that would mean leaving you're wonderful Devon style car"

"You know perfectly well I just couldn't leave my baby here!" He shouted, getting out of the car, and arguing over the roof of it.

"You're _baby _is at home, and you_ left_ him there" She said "Some caring parent you are"

"I wanted to stay, daft fat...bat" he corrected himself, he always prepared himself for arguments, but every time managed to make himself look like an idiot. "YOU were the one who was o-so desperate to leave"

"I'm calling a cab, Arthur" She closed her door silently and got her mobile phone from her purse.

"Where'd you get that?" he pointed at the phone "Those are expensive, and I certainly didn't buy it for you"

"It was a gift, from a friend"

"Ha! Liar!" His eyes went wide; he got secretly excited, like he just completed a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle "You and I both know that we don't have any friends!"

"I bought it for myself" She said indignantly "We needed one anyway"

"Those things are expensive"

"But we're rich, Arthur!" She screamed "We can afford a cell phone! We can afford to move out of that two bedroom match box you call a house, we can afford all the things we ever dreamed of, including a fucking nanny!"

"Don't swear so much!" Arthur slammed the car door "Shit!"

"What?" Gina asked, as Arthur looked through the car door window.

"The keys are in there"

"Well done, genius"

"Uh…" Arthur got out his wallet and pulled out his credit card.

"What are you doing?" Gina rubbed her bare arms "Oh God. Please don't try, you'll only embarrass yourself"

"I've seen a lot of movies, Gina" Arthur said, kneeling on the road and sticking the credit card between the slots of the car door. "I know how it's done" Gina dialled the numbers, and waited for an answer.

"Those weren't car doors; you need a wire or something for car doors" At the other end of the phone, a gruff voice answered.

"Hello, Celadon Taxi Service how may I help?" He didn't exactly sound happy, he was chewing gum loudly, and Gina grimaced at the sound.

"Hello, I'd like a taxi to pick me up from…hang on" She put the phone on hold "Arthur…what road are we on?"

"Shit!" Arthur kicked the door of his car then held up a broken credit card, he threw it on the floor then proceeded to moan, sitting on the floor.

"Arthur?"

"I don't know…the middle of nowhere"

"What?" Gina asked "This is Celadon, there's no 'middle of nowhere' in Celadon"

"Well, I don't know, near route twenty two, I guess" Gina lifted the phone to her ear again.

"We're near route twenty two… could you look for us around there somewhere?" Gina listened intently while still shivering; Arthur stood up and draped his coat around her shoulders, which she immediately took off.

"It's itchy" She whispered. "How big do you think route twenty two is? Just send a taxi to drive up till he finds two rich people standing by and expensive car…with a large dent on the left hand side." She scowled at her husband, who was, now trying to smooth the dent out.

"…well there's a small tree…that's pretty much all the notable landscape around here" She was growing impatient. "Listen…if you do this for me there a shiny nickel in it for you…no not an actual nickel, it's a metaphor isn't it? …For money" She sighed deeply "okay sorry, I correct myself… if you do this for me, you'll get lots of money!"

"Gina…don't bribe" Arthur said looking up from his work.

"Doesn't' matter anyway… he hung up" Gina put the phone back in her purse and crossed her arms looking around.

"What are you looking for?" Her husband asked.

"Some signs of life…"

"Call someone…call the babysitter!" Arthur said sternly, remembering that she was only staying till ten o'clock and it was currently half-past. Gina hurriedly pulled the phone back out of her purse and dialled five numbers.

"…..it's ringing" She said.

"Well… keep me informed…" Arthur replied.

"...it's still ringing" She said again.

"Good, good"

"…I think she's left" she pressed end call, and sighed again "looks like we're walking back"

"Looks like we're_ running_ back"

So they ran…

"This dress is not made for athletes…" Gina said; breathing heavily trying to keep up with her husbands, not fast, but quick pace.

"No, we're not athletes. I'm fat, you're thin" He stopped and rested on his knees "we're both healthily messed up"

"But… you have to admit, I have a stunning curvy figure for someone who's had a child, a near ten pound child at that" Gina said, smiling slightly.

"I admit, that you look very sexy…but that is one of the reasons I married you, remember?" He smiled again, and took a deep breath "It was the first thing I said to you"

"Yeh…" She sat on the damp ground next to him, not concerned about her crimson dress "Why do we always fight, Arty? I mean, we have twice as much reason to love each other than most couples…"

"Do we really?" Arthur smiled "We have happy moments as well, like when we got married…or when you gave birth, we just remember the fights more, because horrible things stick in your mind much more than wonderful things"

"I guess so." She turned to him "Are you under the impression giving birth was a wonderful experience for me?

"Well, granted it must have been painful, but look at the end result, you're a mother now"

"Hip hooray" Gina said in possibly the least enthusiastic voice.

"Come on, that child is beautiful"

"Yes. He is." She said quietly to her self. Arthur looked across suddenly to a dilapidated building. Its door was missing and the windows were smashed, all in all it looked abandoned, and had probably looked it, for some time.

"How long do you think that's been there?"

"A few years…I've never seen it before personally" Gina answered.

"…Neither have I"

Both of them got to their feet, and looked at each other again. Arthur moved a piece of straggling hair from her face.

"I do _love_ you, Gina" He said.

"I know"

"_Going to the moon, going to the moon,_

_We announce the ways, of truth and love._

_Extend our reach, to the stars above_

_Going to the moon, going to the moon._

_We're Blazers, we love it._

_We blaze like a rocket._

_Going to the moon._

_We're going to the moon"_

"That was…surprising" Gina said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"It was grandfather's song; he used to say we were called Blazer, because we blazed like a rocket. We could go anywhere, and get there fast"

"I've never heard you sing before"

"Was I good?"

"No" She smiled "But it was still beautiful"

They reached their front door and opened it quickly, Gina hurriedly rushed upstairs while Arthur walked into the living room, on the leather sofa, was Miss Holly Henderson, lying under a blanket with a her clothes, all her clothes, thrown on a pile on the floor.

"Holly?" Arthur said calmly from the doorway. A sleepy moan was heard from the couch, as she raised her head above the arm. Her eyes shot wide as she scrambled to cover herself with her blanket.

"What was his name this time, Holly?"

"S-s-steve" she said sheepishly, picking up her clothes. Arthur turned around away from her, while she put on her trousers.

"Steve, hasn't Steve been round here before?" Arthur asked

"…different Steve" she said, sliding on a top and heading for the front door. Arthur opened it for her.

"Now Holly, you're seventeen"

"Eighteen"

"Eighteen, when are you going to invite the _same_ boy over?" Arthur asked.

"I dunno" She shrugged "When I find the right guy, I guess"

"Well, you've got plenty to choose from" Arthur handed her twenty kantolians, which she took and looked up nervously.

"You're not gonna tell my folks are ya?"

"Do I ever?" He shut the door and headed to the living room. He started folding up the blanket previously used by Holly. Before he decided it should probably be washed before further use. Gina came down slowly, holding Giovanni.

"He's okay" She said "Not that he cries that often anyway!

"He keeps his worries to himself" Arthur said "It's not healthy, not at this age anyway"

The next morning felt cloudy to Arthur, like his mind wasn't awake yet, he plodded through the morning and walked out to get his car, with his spare set of keys.

He saw the building again, and through his clouded mind, for some reason he thought he had to go in there. He entered through the crumbled entrance and looked around; in the centre of the front room was a smouldering fire.

"Gypsies, they all come here" Arthur said to himself "Come to Celadon, gypsies, we've plenty of flowers" He wandered into the next room, where there was a laptop computer on a small wooden table.

"Gypsies with laptops" he said to himself "okay" A sleeping bag was crumpled in the corner and a lurking figure was creeping up behind Arthur, being careful to keep out of sight. Next to the sleeping bag was a pile of liquor bottles, some broken on heir sides, and, strangest of all, from a rotting rafter, hung a pure white tuxedo, hanging precariously from rusting nail.

"Probably stole it…"

"You're not gonna tell the guys at work are ya?" said a young voice from the shadows "I mean, don't tell em about the way I live, right?" out of the shadows stepped, Mark Preece, the Black-Jack Master.

"Mark?"

"Hey, Boss" He said, he was in his boxer shorts and nothing else; his hair was still gelled from the night before, though now it was sticking up in odd angles.

"You live here?" Arthur asked, picking up an empty liquor bottle and looking at it. "What about your girlfriend?"

"She went home after last night; I haven't exactly _told_ her where I live"

"So you do live here"

"Ya-huh"

"Why?" Arthur asked, putting the bottle down and standing up again "And why didn't you say something?"

"I have a reputation to live up too" Mark said "I'm the Black-Jack Master"

"Black-Jack is pretty much luck…" Arthur looked around again "Which by the looks of things, you do not have"

"This is only temporary" Mark said "I'm getting good pay at the casino; I got a two hundred already, just for a months work"

"I know" Arthur sighed "If you want some money…"

"Stop right there! I don't want to borrow anything, not if I have to pay it back, it gets all muddled and I end up with less than I had before"

"You can keep it"

"Really?"

"I have plenty of money; I can afford everything I've ever dreamed of, including a fucking nanny" Arthur laughed

"Well, thanks" Arthur handed Mark a cheque for one thousand kantolians

"A cheque?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, sort of" He rubbed the back of his neck "I don't actually have a bank account"

"I'll sort one out for you, don't worry"

"Hey. You're a decent, guy Boss, real decent" He smiled "Silph didn't think twice before throwing me out"

"Silph" Arthur said, looking up from his cheque book "Do you know anything about, you know, their recent scheme"

"Not really, they told me about transferring to Cinnabar, didn't tell me why though" He pulled on a pair of dirty jeans that were folded up on the floor. "Some big lab up there or something"

"You know anything about that new species?"

"The alien?"

"The alien" Arthur said "Is it real?"

"Pfft, yeah its real" He answered, as he slid on a white T-shirt "Pretty much dead though"

"It was dead?" Arthur asked sitting down on the sleeping bag.

"It was basically dead, looked like it was having trouble breathing" He knelt down by his laptop "I got some pictures of it if you really wanna see"

"Seriously?"

"Yeh, whole bunch of 'em" He opened a folder on his desktop "They told me to delete them, threatened to kill me if it leaked, pfft, their all talk, yep, here we go" Arthur walked over and knelt down next to Mark. On the screen was an unclear image an operating theatre, people in white coats surrounded an operating table, with a faded pink creature, whining and writhing on it.

"How did you take these?" Arthur asked, moving on to the next image.

"When I was working as a porter, clearing up after everything. I saw it and thought I could make a little money out of a few pictures if it"

"I'll give you a three hundred kantolian raise for these pictures" Arthur said "five thousand for the laptop" Mark was speechless, he sat down on the dusty floor and opened his mouth slowly.

"Done" he said in a raspy voice "There's also a video on there"

"Which directory?"

"The…the same one, just go back"

Arthur did as he was told, he scrolled down through the images, fifty four pictures of this creature, god knows what they were doing to it. At the bottom of the folder was a video file. He double clicked on it. The video was silent, full of bustling white-coats; glimpses of the creature were rare.

"The sounds turned down" Mark said "Turn it up on the side" Arthur turned it up and the room was still very quiet, only footsteps could be heard, though immediately a shocking noise came from the creature, a loud cat-like noise. It seemed to echo through the room, and several of the people held their heads in pain.

"I hate that bit" Mark said rolling up his sleeping bag "Makes me jump every time"

On the video few of the people left, so the creature was more visible. The camera moved in on it, as parker had said, it looked like an ancient cat, its eyes were closed and it breathed harshly and slowly. It looked like suede for its skin, pale peachy suede. Its arms and legs were thin and skeletal, and small. Looking almost in a different scale than the rest of the creature, it also had a long wiry tail, with a fury end to it, which swished in full life, though the creature itself looked almost dead. Suddenly, once more the room erupted into noise, when one of the remaining 'doctors' shrieked hysterically clutching the sides of his head, the other doctors trying to calm him down, by now he was almost laughing, the pain was so bad. As suddenly as it started he fell to the floor, and the room fell silent again.

"Get more people in here" shouted one the doctors "this mans dead for god's sake" Shouted another one; various rushed orders came from different people, the camera switched off.

"What happened to him?" Arthur asked

"I dunno" Mark answered "Very scary though, didn't go back into that room after that. Hardly anyone did"

"He died though" He looked up from the screen "How did he die"

"They didn't tell me"

"I have a feeling they didn't tell anyone"

_Be honest, if you think of any other pokem on facts that I could incorpporate into it, please tell me. But, I've just been researching, and it turns out that Giovanni had a mother that owned Team Rocket before him, so, that saves me some plot work to do. Please review! I would love some feedback, i want to know if I should carry on or not._

_Until next time: Cajun Charmer._


	2. The First Generation

_Meh, didn't get as many reviews as I had hoped, aaah well. I am really enjoying myself, writing this. I suppose you could say this will be my biggest story. Bigger than the others stories I've done anyway, and this one doesn;t contain a single X-Men Evolution character._

_I'm branching out! And there are, in the chapter, some other pokemon: the original threesome, none of these traitorous 'new' pokemon. I think they're running out of ideas, I mean in the last generation they had a pokemon based on a wind-chime. Now, thats got to raise a few eyebrows, righ?_

_Anyway, enjoy, and please review!_

**1**

"Why are you so interested in this thing?" Mark asked, in the passenger seat of his car.

"It's a new life" He replied "It's an actual alien"

"If I were you I wouldn't make too much out of it, they did threaten to kill me y'know. You're a powerful guy now, boss, they might take notice of ya if you start coming up with all sorts of theories" Mark opened the door of the car and stepped out of it, Arthur did the same.

"Theories?" He asked, as he closed the door "You don't need theories when you have all the evidence you need under one arm" He tapped the folded laptop.

"Still, be careful with it" Mark followed him to the front door, where he opened it and stepped inside. "So it's okay if I crash here for a while, right?" Arthur wasn't paying full attention; he plugged the laptop into the wall and watched the movie again. "Boss?"

"What?" he asked, in a trance.

"I can stay here for a while, right?"

"Sure. There's a spare bedroom on the second floor, on the left" Arthur said, not turning his head. Mark nodded once, before heading upstairs, with his sleeping bag slunk over one shoulder.

Arthur gazed at the video again and again, the creature fascinated him. He knew that guy died because of him, but he couldn't figure out how. It was unarmed, and it didn't move a muscle.

"Honey?" Gina asked from the doorway "There's a man upstairs that says he's living with us"

"He's a guy from work, he's needs a place to crash" Arthur said, still focusing on the video.

"Since when do you use the term 'crash'?" Gina asked "Where'd you get that computer?"

"I bought it, from a guy at work" Arthur said "The same guy in fact"

"To quote a man o-so careful with money, 'those things are expensive'" Gina said "How much did it cost?"

"Five thousand"

"Five. Thousand." She said slowly "What is so special about that computer that makes it cost five thousand?"

"Come and look at this" Arthur beckoned his wife over to the coffee table, where she knelt down beside him.

"My god, what is that thing?"

"That is the alien from Silph" He paused the video "The guy upstairs used to work for them. He took a bunch of pictures, and even his video. Watch"

So she did, she didn't seem half as fascinated as Arthur, but she was still taken back.

"What happened to that guy?" She asked "He died, right?"

"I assumed so"

"Was that thing?" She pointed to the pink creature on the table.

"I think it was. But how Gina?"

"I don't know" she got up off the floor "But I need to make dinner"

"You need to order the maid to make dinner" Arthur said "How much does she charge, by the way?"

"Ten an hour, not a bad wage" Gina said "Just, don't get to into this" He didn't listen; he played the video over again. Time dwindled on, when dinner was served he ignored it, when the first signs of dawn shone through the window, he closed the drapes. When the time came to go to work, he just watched the video again, scrolled through the images and watched the video once more.

"Arty" Gina said, as she came down the stairs with a blue dressing gown on "Every five minutes upstairs I could hear that god damn cat scream" Gina walked over and sat on the floor next to him again "You're getting obsessed and you've only had these things for a day"

"Gina, watch this" Arthur played the video again, and fast forwarded to the point where the man was about to scream "Watch here" He played the video, Gina blinked once.

"Did you see it?" Arthur asked, excited by his discovery.

"…I didn't" Gina said sleepily "I didn't see a thing"

"I'll play it again" Once more he re-wound the video to the same place and played it again. Just before the doctor screamed the creature's eyes opened slightly, and were staring straight at the now dead doctor.

"You saw it this time" He said, pretty sure "He opens his eyes"

"So?"

"It has to be to do with him" Arthur said, his eyes wide, a big grin on his face "He staring right at him" He re-wound and paused it "look at him, it looks like he's looking through him"

"You should get some sleep" Gina said, getting up and going to the kitchen.

"You just don't care enough. Mark!" Arthur sprung up from his place and darted to the bottom of the stairs "Mark, come down and watch this. He'll care." He said assuredly to Gina. A very tired Mark cam to the top of the stair case, in just his boxer shorts again.

"You need something, boss?" He said, rubbing his head "Cos I got a bit of a headache right now"

"Come and see this thing" He ordered, and he rushed back into the living room. Mark slowly went down the stairs, and went to the doorway of the living room. On the floor was Arthur again, watching the computer screen closely.

"Come and watch this" He said.

"I'm coming" Mark said and sat on the couch behind Arthur "Boss, I've already seen this, like a thousand times"

"No you haven't" He re-wound the movie "Watch this bit" He played the movie file again and paused as the creature opened it's eyes.

"See!" Arthur shouted.

"Woah" Mark said "He's staring at that guy, have to say I hadn't noticed that before"

"It's the same guy that gets killed" He played the rest of the movie "It's a weird power he has, like a psychic ability or something"

"Psychic?" Mark asked "Like, you mean, reading peoples minds?"

"That's exactly what I mean" Arthur closed the laptop suddenly "He's an alien, right? It's said that aliens communicate using telepathic language"

"But" Mark thought for a moment "That's impossible"

"Why?"

"Because it is!"

"Its only seems impossible because _we_ can't do it" Arthur explained "We can swim; we run we can even fly with planes. There is no technical or natural way for us to be psychic, and that's why we think it is impossible"

"That's right though, there is no technical or natural way" Mark said, he was a smart young man, but still foolish and very arrogant.

"Impossible for us, but this thing isn't from here" Arthur said "Alien describes something that is from another place. This is from another world, why would it talk a language, why would it walk on two feet, why would it breathe at all!?"

"Because that's the only way we can imagine life…" Mark said, catching onto the idea.

"Another creature from another planet could be so different from us, that we can't even imagine what it would be like. We only have biological needs for this planet" He sat down "It doesn't correspond to others…"

"You're all riled up" Gina said from the doorway "Like I said you would be"

"Gina!" Arthur said, getting to his feet again "This is a real alien creature here!"

"So?"

"Are you completely mad?" He asked "this is the best fucking discovery of our lifetime and you're just, no wait, not just you, everybody! Everybody's to involved with their prissy pointless lives to notice the big picture here!"

"And what exactly is the big picture here, Arty?" Gina crossed her arms "That there's an alien? That there's another life? Everyone just takes it in their stride Arthur; they don't get all dumb and excited, just calm down"

"The big picture is that Silph is going to clone that poor creature. Silph controls the whole operation in Kanto" He explained

"Hey!" Mark said from the couch "Kanto is a self governing country! It's what makes it the country of freedom"

"Than how come it's turning into shit?" Arthur turned around "Parker told me this. He said that it's all falling to pieces because Silph is out of ideas"

"I don't have to listen to this crap" Mark said "This country is free, and I'm fucking proud of that! It was the country I was born and raised in"

"And look where it got you, Mark!" Arthur shouted "Sixteen empty liquor bottles and a dilapidated shit-hole!"

"Fuck you!" Mark shouted he got off the sofa and headed to the door; he opened it and turned around "You're all fucked up, if you don't mind me saying. Try telling anyone what you think, they'd say the same thing as me!" He slammed the door and left.

"You're losing friends, Arthur" Gina said "We don't have that many, but we're losing them"

"Gina" He said quietly, going over and lying on the couch, by now the baby was crying "The babies crying"

"I can hear…" she looked up the stairs "He's crying"

"For the first time" Arthur said, still lying down on the couch "Obviously he doesn't like fighting"

Gina went upstairs to check on him; as soon as she entered the room he stopped crying. He seldom got upset; a moan from him was surprising. He never worried or begged for anything. Or he just didn't show it.

"Why were you crying?" Gina asked him, though he only smiled gleefully and waved his limbs around "Were you upset over the fighting?" Again, the squirming carried on. Gina travelled down the stairs again, glancing into living room. Arthur was fast asleep.

"Stupid bastard" Gina whispered to herself, kneeling down beside him "Politics. They always get you riled up"

There were three sudden knocks at the door, Arthur woke up quickly and made his way to the door. He had been sleeping for a long time, it was dark outside, and Gina was now on her way to Lois's house, as was her way.

The three knocks came again. Arthur carefully opened the door, the seldom scruffy man, was now a complete wreck. His eyes like red road maps, bloodshot horribly, with his eyelids drooping down to avoid the harshness of the outside lamp.

"Arthur" Said a friendly voice "You look a mess"

"Parker, I've had a busy day" he replied, opening the door fully, inviting him in.

"You're darling wife said you were asleep. All day"

"I had…I had a busy night, and morning" Arthur said, sitting down in the living room, opening the laptop again. "I want to show you-"

"I don't want to see it" Parker said "And I don't want you to see it anymore"

"Gina told you a lot then"

"She told everything. I think you should delete those files"

"No" Arthur said simply "I don't think I will"

"You don't really know what you're getting yourself into" Parker said, taking off his glasses and polishing them with a silk cloth "You have a child. You have a child and a loving wife"

"Yes"

"It's going to end badly for you" Parker said "If you mess with this stuff, they will kill you"

"Everyone has said that to me" Arthur said "I know I should be worried, but I'm not. This feels right to me"

"Right?" Parker asked "You're a rich man. Rich men don't trouble over things that are right, or wrong. They're rich, you're rich, and you don't have to give a shit about anything, or anyone"

"I am a rich man, Parker" Arthur stood up and closed the laptop "But I'm also a Blazer"

"…Arthur, do you really think you can make a difference in the world. Silph will do what Silph is going to do, and you can't change that, a dead man, a poor man, a rich man, cannot change that. Neither can a Blazer"

"A Blazer can do anything, they blaze to the stars. Like a rocket" Arthur sat down, he was a little distraught and tired still, and he didn't one hundred percent know, what he was saying.

"What exactly are your plans?"

"I will stop them"

"How?" There was a long silence. All the lights in the room were off; it was just two figures, talking politics in the darkness. "Do you; empathise with this creature, Arty?"

"How can I not?" he said sadly

"Because it's dead"

"What?"

"Word from Silph says the creature is dead" Parker coughed slightly "Though the cloning process went very well" Arthur said nothing. "They're experimenting on-"

"What exactly is your link with Silph?" Arthur asked tears in his eyes "Why would they tell you privately, why they send you a letter?"

"Actually, I was there" He said darkly "I am the vice president of the Silph Corporation"

Arthur smiled slightly

"Of course you are" Arthur said, and punched Parker in the face.

**2**

"Three have been killed already; this is getting out of control." A scientist by the name of Warren Ivy said "The creature is-"

"How did they die?" Another asked.

"You know the strange signals we've been receiving, the waves that have been distorting out equipment?" Ivy asked.

"What about them?"

"They also interfere with human brains…"

"In what way" The other scientist removed him mask. It was a well respected man, Samuel Oak, in his mid twenties.

"He crushes them, Professor" Ivy said "Into a pulp" Ivy walked over to an operating table. On it was a man, a dead man. On his fore head was a hole, drilled their.

"Take a look" Ivy said, allowing the professor to walk past and look "Into a pulp"

"It looks like tomato juice" Samuel said, he turned to face Ivy again "And all of them are like this?"

"All three of them" Ivy replied. Another professor quickly walked into the room, his pace was quick.

"Professor Morgan" Samuel said nicely "Have any new information on the powers of this creature"

"It's hard, Professor, his powers being invisible" Morgan smiled "It's hard to prove they exist at all"

"Of course they do"

"I know they _do_" Morgan said "This…psychic ability it has. It fascinates me"

"This creature continues to fascinate us all"

"Which is why I have to ask, Professor" he stuttered slightly "I think we should treat it more fairly"

"What?"

"Make it more comfortable, you mean?" Ivy asked "How many more people would it kill, if we did that?"

"Perhaps it's killing people, because we're being so hostile towards it" Morgan said, narrowing his eyes at Ivy.

"You're acting very protective of this thing, yet you keep referring to it, as…it" Samuel said. "Surely if you truly admired this creature, you would give it a name, or at least call it 'he'"

"We have no idea whether it's a male or a female" Morgan said "That's why I call it _it_, as for a name, it was made reasonably clear to me, that any attempt to tame, or nurture the creature would end in banishment from the institution and up to four years in prison"

"You've done well to keep so quiet up till now, Morgan" Samuel said "But I really must insist that you stop these demands, or I will have to let you go"

"Demands?" Morgan asked "I didn't demand anything. Don't try and make yourself sound so reasonable"

"Morgan" Samuel said, putting his hand on Morgan's shoulder "Take the rest of the day off"

"Professor-"

"I think you need it" He said "You've been working especially hard these last few days and I think you deserve a rest"

Morgan looked at him with hate-filled eyes. Samuel Oak had this way with people, a seemingly innocent tone that always made him sound like the reasonable one. He was a psychopath, plane and simple, only concerned with his well being, his image and his career.

"Thank you" Morgan said, removing the Professor's hand from his shoulder "You always know what's best for me" Morgan smiled sarcastically and left the room.

"Professor" Ivy said "Have you any ideas"

"For what, sorry?" Samuel turned his attention back to Warren.

"How protect ourselves, from, him" He pointed to another table. On it was a sedated creature, its eyes were closed and it's breathing harsh and rare. Its tail swished from side to side, much unlike the rest of the creature, like it had a life of its own. Sam looked upon the creature and closed his eyes calmly.

"How many are completed?" He asked, his eyes remaining closed

"Three, Professor" Ivy said "One for each man dead"

Samuel breathed out heavily and opened his eyes.

"Show them to me"

**3**

A thick metal door opened to a brightly lit room, inside were three large, glass cages. Samuel was lead to the first one.

"You have to wait" Warren Ivy said " This one doesn't take kindly to strangers"

"I'm not a stranger" Samuel put his face nearer the glass, and looked around the cage "I'm this creature's father"

"Professor" Ivy said. "Would you like to hear some of the characteristics, the behaviour and, it's… powers"

Samuel looked up from the cage suddenly.

"Powers?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Tell me, Warren, what 'powers' does this thing possess?"

"Down in genetics, we got a little ambitious" Ivy said "We mixed the original creatures DNA with that of the simplest we could think of. That of a frog Agalychnis callidryas"

"A red-eyed tree frog" Samuel said knowingly "How is that ambitious, exactly?"

"Half way through the gene mixing process, we added floral DNA, it went surprisingly well-"

"Floral DNA?" A gravely voice asked from the doorway. "What sort of 'floral DNA'?" Samuel and Ivy turned around to see Parker standing there. The door closed behind him.

"Ah, Mr. Loren" Samuel said "Just in time for the grand opening"

"Adenium obesum, Sir" Ivy answered "A desert rose"

"Very poisonous flower, that" Samuel said "But very beautiful, to say the least"

"I believe instructions were given" Parker said "Animals only; I don't know much about science or genetics, but I know that adding too many genes together will create a mutated mess. Tell me, what does this horrendous beast look like?"

"Why don't you look for yourself" Ivy said, indicating the cage. Parker walked over to it, with little care and glanced around it once.

"I can't see it" He said.

"Has it escaped?" Samuel asked.

"That's impossible, Professor" Ivy laughed "Just wait one minute"

Inside the glass cage was jungle, assorted plants littered the area, growing fast and large in the brightly lit cage. Species of insects also travelled around, crickets, grasshoppers and others. In the centre was grassy clearing, where most of the light was directed.

"I still don't see anything" Samuel said, but as he did, a rustling came from the leaves. Out walked an amphibious creature. Its feet were webbed, but the creature still had little sharp claws on the end of its long frog-like toes. Its skin was unlike a frogs, and was more like the aliens, smooth and suede-looking, the most defining feature was most probably the collection of folded leaves on its back, where the midrib and the petiole connected to the creatures Latissimus Dorsimuscle. Its eyes were wide, and indeed, red.

"It's not very big, is it?" Parker asked, looking inquisitively at it.

"It's bigger than a red-eyed tree frog, sir" Professor Ivy said, smiling.

"Quite a cute little fella, isn't he?" Samuel said, moving closer to the cage. At this, the creature leaped backwards and widened its eyes fully, between the leaves on its back, an ochre coloured gas exuded.

"What's it doing?"

"It's defending itself" Ivy answered "When frightened or troubled, it sprays around a deadly nerve gas, that currently, there is no cure for" The creature skulked backwards back into the wilderness, it's eyes still glowing in the darkness.

"What species is it?" Parker asked "Is it a plant or an amphibian?"

"It's a monster" Ivy said "By all scientific rules; it's a pure natural monster"

"There's nothing natural about it" Parker said, a worried expression on his face.

"He's right" Samuel nodded "All it is is a scientific breakthrough and the end to Silph's bankruptcy"

"Unfortunately, the psychic ability from the creature didn't progress into this one. But it has gained some peculiar abilities from the flower. It needs little food or sustenance, most of it's energy is taken from the light" Ivy explained, reading from a self made notebook "We named it bulbizzare" Ivy smiled.

"Bulbizzare?" Samuel asked "Try bulbasaur"

"It's no relation to a lizard, professor" Ivy said.

"But it's far more appropriate" Samuel said "And it looks better written down, I can assure you"

Ivy solemnly scribbled the creatures name out, and replaced it. He placed the pencil back in his pocket and directed Parker and Samuel to the next cage. Out of the glass, an immense heat could be felt through it. The landscape inside was bleak but emanated lot of heat. Lying peacefully in the centre, was a small fiery-orange coloured lizard, its under-belly was cream coloured with smooth scales covering it, while the rest of it seemed harsh and bumpy. Its eyes were closed at this time, but it had two shiny, silver fangs and a long, strong tail, with a flame-like fan on the end, it kept spreading and then folding, as if the creature had no control over it.

"We called this one Charmander" He looked across at Samuel, who was nodding at the name. Ivy smiled "It's able to survive shockingly high temperatures and has a natural immunity to fire. We found it feeds on brimstone, well, feed is a strong word. It _collects _brimstone it its mouth, chewing on it continually, grinding it into a fine dust"

"That's rather strange behaviour, wouldn't you say?" Samuel asked, looking puzzled at the creature.

"We had no explanation as to why, until yesterday" Ivy coughed lightly "It's defences differ from the last specimen, Professor"

"Of course, that's expected" Parker said.

"This one uses…pyrokinetics" Ivy said, closing his fact book.

"It can control fire?" Samuel asked.

"It can _create _fire" Ivy opened his book again "The mix of DNA has provided it with great intelligence; it uses the brimstone to create these powerful bursts of flame. Its teeth are made of a platinum-like substance, which reacts with hydrogen to create a natural flamethrower"

"Where does it get the hydrogen?" Parker asked.

"It stores hydrogen in a second lung, and releases it when he needs to" Ivy closed the book again and looked pleased with himself "That's not all. See the strange lumps on its back? We believe they could be maladapted wings, and with time and more tests, I believe we could make it fly, or glide at least"

"It would be a dragon" Parker whispered to himself, looking closely at the beast.

"A real life dragon" Samuel said.

"It's just the miracle of the modern age, Professor" Ivy smiled, obviously delighted with their reaction.

"No, it's the miracle of that creature out there" Samuel smiled wider "That, alien"

**4**

The room was dark now; everyone had gone to lunch and locked the doors. Morgan tried the handle, he wasn't sure if he could use his ID card. No one really trusted him; he was always questioning whether what they were doing was right.

"Stay together here" Morgan said to himself "Go in. Go out"

Morgan pressed his card against reader, which successfully opened the doors with a quiet buzz. In the centre of the room was the creature. It had been placed in its glass case, though it escaping was never likely, they had to take precautions. Morgan closed the door slowly and opened the glass coffin, it had been placed in.

"I have no idea what you are" Morgan said "But nothing should be treated with such…disrespect"

"Mew" The creature said quietly, Morgan didn't hear it, he undid the buckles around the creature's arms and legs.

"I can't let them butcher you like this" Morgan said "Taking what they need from you, leaving you hungry"

"Mew" It said again, Morgan looked down at it with much confusion "Mew" It said again.

"You're speaking" Morgan whispered to it "Tell me, what does 'mew' mean?"

"Mew"

"Is that all you can say?" Morgan asked "Can you tell what you are? Who you are?"

"…Mew" The creatures eyes opened wider, and Morgan stared right into them. Inside the creatures eyes were images of tortured animals. Meaningless battles between people, and the bloodshed of the innocent. Morgan fell backwards onto the cold tile floor; his breathing became quick and harsh.

"Your psychic powers…Mew" Morgan said "Those were you psychic powers?"

The creature didn't move, its eyes were slowly closing.

"Come on" Morgan said "I'll carry you out of here" Morgan stood up and placed his arms around the creature's neck. Immediately a searing pain shot though his arms into his brain, a feeling so horrible and dark. Like someone erasing his mind, crushing it. The pain stopped, and when Morgan opened his eyes, he was on the other side of the door. He frantically got his card out and placed it against the reader, the doors opened and on the table, in the glass coffin, the creature's tail, Mew's tail, had gone limp.

5

"Squirtle" Said Ivy.

"I can't see this one either" Parker said, looking into a glass cage filled with water. The bottom of the tank was covered with jagged rocks

"Very well camouflaged" Samuel said. "Aren't they?"

"This one is the genetic DNA of a sea turtle, plus that of the alien of course" Ivy said "I believe this to be the most successful, the most adapted anyway, most like that creature next door. Like the sea turtle it is well adapted to marine life, and is a fast swimmer. The reason you can't see it, is because when nervous, it hides in its shell, which blends in well with the rocky sea bottom." Ivy said knowingly.

Out of the jagged rocks came a creature, its jagged shell blended almost entirely to the rock below, out of the shell popped a scaly blue head, with large shark eyes. Two pairs of legs also came out, and a tail. What was most striking, was the creatures tail, it was long, and soft, like the clouds. It swished through the water elegantly behind the creature.

"When out of water, it carries water in its lungs" Ivy said "And is able to spew it out of its mouth with such force; it is able to breakthrough rock. Its defences apart from that are non-aggressive. It is able to hide in its sturdy shell until danger is out of sight"

"This truly is fantastic" Samuel said, unable to control his glee "Parker, I think you should inform the president of the progress we have made, and start getting the public hyped up about this"

"Alright" Parker said "Try to remember though, Samuel, I am_ your _boss. Don't tell me what to do"

"I apologise, Sir" Samuel said, charmingly "It's just I am a little over excited. We've made monsters, Warren" He said, turning to Ivy.

"We have indeed"

"We've made mythical monsters…real" Samuel said "And we're about to make millions. You could afford that place by the sea you always wanted, Warren. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"It would, Professor. You could get that place in the country" Warren laughed.

"The place in Pallet Town"

"But!" Warren said, causing parker to freeze in his tracks. "I haven't finished yet"

"What?"

"There is so much more to tell you first" He said. "You said the creatures should be tame. Well, they are under you control, once you make them yours"

"And how do I make them mine, exactly?"

"Christen them"

"Christen, them?" Samuel asked "Rather strange, to christen beasts like these.

"I mean name them, professor" Ivy said "Name them _yours_ and they will obey your every command"

"They're like slaves, then?" Parker asked, from the doorway.

"Slaves?" Samuel turned around.

"I assure you, sir, these creatures have no sense of anything outside obeying their owner's commands, it's the life they were made to live" Ivy said, closing the book again.

"But-"

"This isn't really a moral subject, sir" Samuel said, calmly "They are made to fight, serve and to obey, like bees are made to make honey"

"Bees aren't made, Professor" Parker said "They are born naturally, that's why _this _is so…wrong" Behind parker came another scientist, who had a very noticeable sign of worry in his eyes; he pushed passed him quickly and whispered something in Professor Oak's ear.

"It seems we have a problem with the creature" Samuel said

"You sure it's dead?" Ivy asked, circling around the alien.

"I checked its pulse" Said the other scientist.

"Did it even have a pulse to begin with?" Parker asked "It's a completely different life, after all"

"It had a pulse, Sir" Ivy answered

"Warren, go to the file retrievment office, collect all the data you can on the creature" Samuel asked, Ivy nodded and headed for the door "And check the door's card identity history, see who was in the room last"

"Why do that?" Parker asked

"I have a feeling…" Samuel said

"Clear" Said the scientist, holding electrical paddles.

"What are you doing?" Samuel asked "It's dead"

"You're not just going to give up, are you" Parker asked, pushing up his glasses.

"What do you suggest we do?" Samuel asked "We have all we need, Sir"

"It seems like such a waste to me" Parker said "It was quite a beautiful creature"

Ivy entered the room, a collection of files under his arm.

"Here are the files, Professor" Ivy said "And the last person to enter the room is…Professor John Morgan, head of the psychic division"

"Sir" Samuel said, turning to Parker "May I suggest letting Morgan go. It's obvious he doesn't take the project all that seriously, or he wouldn't be so careless with the creature"

"You think he was responsible for the creature's death?" Parker asked.

"When we came in the buckles on the creatures restraints were undone" Samuel explained "As was the safety catch on the glass cage"

"Morgan has a little girl to support" Parker said "And his wife died recently, I can't let him go after all he's been through"

"He might jeopardize the operation, Parker" Samuel said.

"Don't call me that" Parker took off his glasses "He's working till the end of the year at least. Give him warning and time to get a new job"

"Of course, Sir" Samuel smiled, charmingly "You can rely on me"

**6**

In the Blazer household, the Christmas tree was up, and the first flakes of winter fell from the grey sky. Three months had passed since Parker had admitted his link with Silph, and Arthur was far from forgiving him yet. Mark Preece was now a full time resident in the household, and has taken a shine to both little Giovanni and Holly Henderson, who still babysat occasionally for them.

"Hands down the best Christmas I'm ever gonna have" Mark said, coming down the stairs, holding Giovanni lovingly "Last Christmas, I was at my Uncles in Ecruteak"

"You don't like your uncle, Mark?" Gina asked, from the hall.

"Oh, no" He said, handing the baby over to her "I love my uncle, when he's sober. When my uncle gets drunk he tends to focus on the past a lot"

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked who had now gained a few more Christmas pounds, and was currently eyeing a new batch of mince pies.

"He tends to re-enact the war against Sinnoh" He answered "He always got me to play the Sinnoh bad-guy. He'd get a little too into it you know, he stabbed me last year with a plastic fork"

"Oh my god, were you okay?" Gina asked, resting the baby on her hip.

"I was fine, but I still carry the scar right here" he patted his chest "I promised my Auntie I wouldn't go round there again" He went into the living room, where the television was on. Arthur was parked in front of it; with a half empty plate of mince pies on the coffee table.

"You know when the guests are getting here?" Mark asked, straightening out his shirt "You invited Holly, right?"

"I invited her, she said she _might _come" Arthur said "She never promised anything"

"She might as well have done" Mark laughed "She always says that, it's like a guarantee when she says that"

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

"Answer the door, Mark" Arthur said, taking another pie from the plate. Mark got up and yawned, before going to the front door and opening it grandly.

"Merry Christmas! - oh it's you" He said, behind the door was Parker, who looked a little stressed at the moment.

"I need to see, Arthur" He said darkly, he was slightly out of breath, but Mark didn't bother to ask why.

"Sure thing"

"I need to meet with you privately" Parker said "It's about the creature"

"You said the creature was dead, Parker" Arthur sighed "I really don't want to get into that thing again. I have been a lot happier since I forgot about it"

"You invited John Morgan and his daughter I presume?" Parker said "Because I need to talk to him as well"

"He said you fired him" Arthur said "His wife just died, Parker, I would have thought you would have a little more sympathy"

"I'm a lawyer" Parker said quietly.

"But he's been a friend for a while, what did he even do?" Arthur asked, taking the empty plate out to the kitchen, Parker following closely behind.

"He was the one that killed the creature" Parker said "At least there's a good chance it was him, and I did give him three months to find a new job"

"You're going to leave before the other guests get here" Arthur said "None of them can stand the sight of you at the moment, and my wife has been planning this party for a while"

"I'll be gone. But I need you're word that you will meet me tomorrow, and try to bring along John" Parker said "You'll value this information"

"Okay"

"There's a deserted building on the outskirts of Celadon" Parker said "meet me there at five O'clock"

"I will" Arthur said, he hesitated, but he held out his hand "Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas" Parker shook his hand vigorously "And be careful"

**7**

"I'd like to make a toast" Mark said, getting up from his chair "I'd like to make a toast to Arthur and Gina Blazer. Without them I wouldn't be who I am today…" Mark had had a little too much to drink. He was acting like it was a wedding, and kept thanking everyone for turning up, shaking their hands and congratulating them. Everyone soon got used to his rambling, and learned to ignore it.

"Glad you could make it, John" Arthur said, pouring out another drink "I didn't think you'd make it"

"I needed a break" John Morgan said "Heard anything from Parker?"

"Actually, he dropped by before you got here" Arthur said

"What did he say?" Morgan asked.

"He wanted to meet me, and you, actually" Arthur took a big gulp from his glass and coughed lightly "I think it's something to do with that creature" Morgan suddenly looked taken back, he breathed out heavily.

"What creature?" Morgan said, avoiding eye contact "It's Sabrina's Birthday in January, perhaps I should throw a party"

"John" Arthur said "The creature, he said you killed it"

"I didn't" Morgan said "They said I did but I didn't. I helped it"

"Well. It's dead, I can't imagine you helped it that much" Arthur said "What exactly did you do to it?"

"I helped it. If you saw how they treated that thing" Morgan talked down a bit "They were heartless towards it. It was a beautiful creature, with abilities unlike anything we've seen before. And they killed it. _They_ killed it"

"What kind of abilities?"

"Psychic…It was psychic" Morgan answered "I snuck into lab when people were gone; I panned to take it away from there. I touched it, and it didn't want me to, and tried to kill me"

"How?"

"It has this, look, like it sees into your mind. It has such power and control over that ability he can dominate peoples brains, and crush them" Morgan said "Ever since my encounter with that poor creature, I've felt strange, when people stare at me, I feel what they're thinking, like a second voice inside my head"

"He looked at you" Arthur said "He always looks at them"

"Tomorrow, I'm coming with you" Morgan said "I need to know what is going on there, at Silph, how far the cloning programme has gone"

"They've cloned it?" Arthur asked

"They have mixed it" Morgan looked around the room before speaking "They have mixed genes of other creatures with it, creating these mutated creatures, they look unnatural, and they look sad"

"Everyone!" Gina shouted, holding Giovanni lovingly "Little Gevvy has just said his first words, go on Gevvy…say them" Gina urged, Giovanni looked around at everyone staring at him and looked happy, he started waving his little arms in the air.

"Say the words, Little-man" Mark said, slyly putting his arm around Holly "I practically raised that child" He whispered into her ear.

"Mew"

Morgan's eye shot wide, he stood up and stared at the child, and the child stared right back. Morgan started breathing harshly again, and he sat down.

"Mew"

_Sabrina! She's mentioned, and in much later chapter, miss Sabrina Morgan, Psychic specialist will have alot more to do. In the biography of sabrina it's said she learnt her psychic abilities from him, so I made him kinda inherit them from Mew. And for those who want to know about pokemon evolution, there are not going to be any glwoing lights and they sudden;y change, it's more of a natural evolution, it develops over time._

_I am trying to put as many little nods to the games and the anime as possible. I find them fun to write, Warren Ivy, moving to the beach, where he shall have a daughter weho shall also study pokemon. Can anyone tell me the place where Professor Ivy actually lives, because I need the name for later chapters!_

_Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and please review, and if you have bothered to read this much of my innane rambling, thankyou, I hope you had a merry christmas!_


	3. From the Devils Mouth

_It's been a while since I've updated, but hey, not many people even read this, no, who cares? But I enjoy reading it, it teaches me stuff. This is the third chapter, and character dies...or does he or does she? Read on? or don't? So many decisions._

**From the Devils Mouth**

1

"What does that even mean?" Holly asked, raising an eyebrow "I believe when someone says their first word, it has to be an actual word"

"Mew" Mark said "Mew is a word; it's the sound a cat makes. You know ona- something"

"Onomatopoeia" Gina said "It's not really a word, no, but he sounds so cute saying it" Gina held up the baby and smiled, making funny faces at him and making him laugh.

"Give him here" Mark said, taking hold of the baby. Mark held him closer to Holly, who poked him in the stomach playfully, the baby laughed and waved his arms and legs excitedly.

"I think I'm gonna go home" Morgan said, his hand still on his head "Gina, do you know where Sabrina is?"

"She's upstairs in the crib" Gina said "Are you feeling alright?"

"A bit if a headache actually" Morgan smiled briefly.

"Mew" Giovanni said again, Morgan crippled to the floor, keeping his hands on his head.

"Oh my god!" Gina shouted, kneeling down next to him "Do you need a doctor?"

"No, no" He said, sitting up and dusting himself off "I just need a good nights sleep" Morgan and Sabrina left, and pretty soon so had all the other guests. Apart from Holly who was currently getting wooed by Mark in the doorway, he was wearing his famous white tuxedo, and had gelled his hair into an extravagant spiked style; each hair seemed to have been gelled individually.

"You know, I have had a lot of Girlfriends" Mark started, not a great place to start, but he knew what he was doing "But, seriously, you're like the best thing that has happened to me"

"Mark" Holly said "I'm not exactly undefiled" Saying this caused Arthur to snort in the next room. Mark looked up slyly, causing holly to look up. Hanging there was some festive mistletoe, tied neatly with a red ribbon.

"Holly" Mark said…and we can leave it there.

"Okay, Holly, time to go home" Arthur said, getting up from the couch and opening the front door "I think you've spent enough time taking Mark down to your level"

"Oh no, Arty, she's my little Holly berry" Mark said, holding Holly's hands firmly "This is the real thing, I swear!" He looked at her one last time. "Why doesn't she spend the night, huh?"

"No!"

"I tried" He said quietly to her.

"Have you any idea how long I have wanted a proper party" Gina said "That was a dream come true to me, apart from that poor John"

"John?" Arthur asked "What happened to John?"

"He collapsed!" Gina said "Said he had a headache"

"Oh" He shook his head "Tomorrow I'm going out, to meet Parker"

"Parker, after what he did to your dream, to your friend?" Gina shook her head also "No way. You should hate him!"

"I know I should, but I trust him, he's my lawyer after all" Arthur sat down, and took a handful of nuts from the kitchen table.

"How is that a reason to trust him" Gina said "He a _lawyer_!"

2

"It's just a few miles away, the outskirts of Celadon" Arthur said "Route seven"

"Saffron city?" Morgan asked, it was about five o'clock, and it was just getting dark. All the trees along the road were bare. It hadn't snowed this Christmas, it rarely did in Celadon. It was a bohemian place, full of gypsies and peddlers, selling rare and fragrant flowers to passers by. Arthur resented them, he felt like they were taking over his home, and he would not allow that.

"Near there" Arthur replied.

"How did you find this place?" Morgan asked "A dilapidated building, in between the two most technically powerful cities"

"I got lost driving home" Arthur said, he was looking all along pavement, not that you could miss the building.

"You got lost?" Morgan laughed "In Celadon? You've lived here your whole life"

"Not quite" Arthur said "I was born in Viridian, and went to university there" Arthur started walking faster.

"Do you get lost easily?" Morgan asked, looking closely at a road sign "Did you say it was on route seven?"

"Yeh"

"Well, this is route sixteen, and it is dangerous" Morgan said "I got mugged here once, full of nasty biker types"

"You're joking" Arthur said, walking slowly towards the sign "We've been going the wrong way?"

"Completely the opposite direction" Morgan said "I think we should probably hurry there" They both set off, a faster pace than before.

"You never said you were mugged" Arthur said "It's a pretty traumatizing thing to happen, why didn't you say anything?"

"On the same day, I came home and my wife was dead" Morgan said smoothly, he looked across at Arthur "I didn't think it mattered when I saw her"

"I'm sorry" Arthur said "I didn't- we should probably get going" They walked again, Arthur was now carrying some extra pounds, and got tired quite easily. He was breathing heavily when they got to the top of route seven. They had stopped there looking into the now dark sky; heavy smoke was lifting into the air.

"A forest fire?" Morgan asked "Do you think we should call the fire department?"

"That's the house" Arthur said "I swear to you, that's the house"

"What?"

"Parker's set fire to the house" Arthur started running, Morgan close behind "I have no idea why"

"He's probably not thinking clearly" Morgan said "He's probably guilty or…something"

"Parker doesn't get guilty, he doesn't lose his mind" Arthur said "He keeps cool under pressure, and it sounded like he had something important to tell me"

"Why do you think he wants me around?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know" They reached the house; the fire department hadn't been called. It was roaring loudly, flames licking and spreading across to the trees.

"Do you think Parker's inside?" Morgan asked.

"Go back to the city" Arthur said "Tell them, the fire department, tell them about this" Morgan nodded and started sprinting back. Arthur hadn't had any real action in his life, which is why, when he reached the door of the flaming house, he didn't kick it open heroically and save who ever was inside. He just looked at it, with a look of regret on his face.

"I blaze" Arthur said to himself "I blaze like a rocket" He tightened his fists, took a deep breath and stood there, looking at the burning ruins. The damp wooden walls of the cabin created a lot of smoke, though through the thickness of the smoke and smell of burning wood, another smell drifted. A smell so foul and unnatural it sent a tingle up Arthur's spine. It was a scent almost like an overdone steak, or a moth burning in a candle.

"Parker?" Arthur said, he was convinced, he picked up a rock and bashed down the ember door, there was a small pathway through the flames that lead into the room where he had purchased Mark's laptop. Arthur tied a handkerchief round his nose and mouth and blinked constantly. On the floor crouched in the fire place, was an unconscious figure, the smoke was too thick to see who it was, but the flames illuminated one horrifying feature, the figure's leg was stretched out into the flames. Arthur looked away, and tried to focus more of the figure, he crept closer towards him.

"Parker" Arthur said "Are you dead?" There was no reply, Arthur crept forward a bit more and he could now hear sirens from outside. He knelt on the floor and reached out for the figure's hand, he pulled him forward; it was indeed Parker, though his beard and hair had been singed quite drastically, and a lot of his skin was covered in burns. Arthur put his hand to Parker's chest, he could feel a heartbeat. He pulled the figure up, and only too a quick glance at the state of Parker's leg, before looking up, with tears in his eyes.

He dragged him though the house, and was met outside by Morgan. Spread around was the fire department, focusing on putting out the trees rather than the house. On the ground was a stretcher brought along by two paramedics, who looked sternly at Parker's leg. Arthur lay him down on the stretcher.

"Oh my god" Morgan said, looking away and covering his eyes "What happened?"

"His leg was in the fire" Arthur said, kneeling down by the stretcher "He's still breathing though" The state of Parker's leg was unimaginable. The left trouser leg was complete burnt off, with serious third degree burns down the thigh, from the knee, the burns got a lot worse. In some places close to all the flesh had been burnt off, orange and black patches of ash and skin had collected round it. The foot had completely gone, probably left behind when Arthur pulled him free. Arthur looked won to the ground and cried, before looking at his hand, the hand he had used to check his heartbeat. It was covered in blood, thick, red blood. Arthur looked up, and checked Parker's chest, he ripped open the smouldering remains of his shirt to reveal three gunshot wounds, hidden well by the blackened skin.

Parker's eyes opened, one of the pupils had blacked out, and was glazed over, due to smoke damage. The other rolled to look at Arthur, who was looking straight back.

"Blaze" almost no sound came from Parker's lips, but the slightest noise said "Blaze. And treat them fairly…"

"We'll take it from here, sir" One of the paramedics said "We'll take him back to the ER, see what we can do. Though for obvious reasons, he won't be able to walk again"

"He's been shot" Arthur said "In the chest, this was a murder"

"On three. One, two three" The paramedics lifted the stretcher and pushed it into the ambulance "Don't worry sir"

"Aren't you listening, look at his chest!" Arthur demanded "He's been shot three times"

"I can assure you he has not, sir" One of them said.

"His injuries are serious burns and nothing more, probably fell asleep smoking" The other said.

"He doesn't smoke" Arthur said "He quit three years ago, almost killed him doing that"

"Sometimes they sneak one now and then"

"Was he under a lot of stress?"

"Why won't you listen to me?" Arthur screamed "Open the ambulance and I'll show you right now" He walked over to the ambulance doors.

"Sir, will you please step away from the vehicle" One of them asked "You have no business doing that"

"I can show you, just let me-" Arthur never finished that sentence; one of the paramedics had punched him in the stomach. The other ran round to the driver's seat and started the engine. Arthur looked up and was struck in the face.

Arthur's eyes fluttered open, to see Morgan standing over him, fanning him gently with his hand. He looked across at the burnt building, it had been out, the smouldering remnants lay still, and the sounds of nature were silent.

"Are you okay?" Morgan asked "You had quite a nasty fall, why did that guy hit you?"

"Because I asked too many questions" Arthur said, grunting as he got off the cold ground, it was pitch black outside it must have been past midnight.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Morgan asked, helping Arthur to his feet "He looked… he didn't…"

"He's going to die" Arthur said, dusting himself off "I doubt those paramedics were even from the hospital"

"You do?"

"Let's go there, now" Arthur said, setting off down route seven again.

_GASP! Blaze-rocket-team-rocket...WHOA! TEAM ROCKET! Could this event spark the entire creation of that team? Well...could it!? I'm asking you a question!_


	4. To Extend our Reach

_Ugh chapter four... thats one chapter more than I have reviews, I find that sad, Aww well, it teaches me stuff I guess. Strong words and stuff..._

"Parker" Arthur said, holding an icepack to his head "Parker Leron, he was brought here with serious burns to his legs and chest"

"Their have been no emergencies tonight, no burns and no Parker Leron" The receptionist said, looking through his charts. "Are you sure he wasn't taken to another hospital?"

"This is the only hospital is Celadon, they wouldn't have taken him to Saffron city, that's ages away" Morgan said "

"Then I'm sorry, sir" he said "There is no Parker Leron in this hospital"

"Have you checked under John Doe?" Arthur asked "I never gave them his name"

"I have"

"And?"

"Nothing" He answered "I'm sorry, their must be some sort of mess up"

"I should say there is" Morgan said.

"Morgan, I know he isn't at any hospital" Arthur said "If he's not here, he's not anywhere, come on, we'll take a cab back to your house, then phone Saffron Emergency to make sure" The stepped in front of the automatic doors and they opened slowly.

"This place really is falling to pieces" Morgan shook his head, then looked across the street; there was a whole collection of beggars and peddlers, settling down for the night.

"The hospital?" Arthur asked.

"No" Morgan looked at the black sky "The whole city, you're casino is loosing money, Arthur. The streets are being overrun buy gypsies and the homeless, selling their flowers and their 'magical' ointments"

"There's nothing wrong with some flowers, Morgan" Arthur said "I don't like the invasion of the gypsies as much as you, but maybe the flowers will brighten this place up"

"I doubt that, this was once the capital of Kanto, the place of thriving business and where dreams come true" Morgan looked at the floor "I feel like this is just the beginning of something much worse, something so bad and wrong that no one else sees"

"Morgan, what could possibly be so bad?"

"Slavery" Morgan looked up again "Gladiatorial fights that destroy the lives of the innocent."

"Why do you say that?" Arthur asked.

"A feeling, the situation at Silph, Parker" He closed his eyes "Those creatures"

"The clones, the clones of that alien" Arthur said "I don't particularly want to get involved with that alien-"

"Mew" Morgan said "its name was Mew"

"…What?"

"That's why I was so shocked when your child said its name, it…it scared me" Morgan sat down on the curb "I don't know what your baby has to do with that creature, but don't involve your family, Arthur"

"I have no idea what you are talking about" Arthur said "Mew is a…it's a noise, it has nothing to do with that creature, and I have not said a single word to my family about this matter, not for three months"

"It was not a coincidence, Arthur" Morgan said "I felt, in my heart of hearts, your child knows something about that creature, knows about its powers"

"How?"

"I don't know" Morgan said "You think I'm crazy"

"I don't…"

"Yes you do" Morgan said darkly "Maybe not consciously, but in your subconscious, you think I should be locked up"

"No" Arthur sat down next to him "It's a lot to take in. You know what? Mark. Mark worked for Silph I bet he heard the creature, I bet he told it too Gevvy"

"No" Morgan said "Mark doesn't know a thing"

"But-"

"Trust me, I think I know a little too much about everyone, even you" Morgan said "You've kept some information from me"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about this power, this uncontrollable power I have. As soon as I look as someone, their deepest darkest desires, secrets and thoughts come out and blend into my memories. When I wake up in the morning, I have trouble remembering who I am, which memories are my own" Morgan closed his eyes again, a single tear rolled down his cheek "Yesterday. Yesterday I forgot my daughter's name; I got up, went to the nursery and paused, like I didn't even know who she was"

"You've had a hard few months, John; you're feeling stressed" Arthur said "But if you're telling that somehow, that creature's abilities were passed onto you…"

"Who's Lois?" Morgan turned to him, slightly spiteful eyed.

"One of my wife's friends, why?"

"I don't think she realises how much you despise her" Morgan said, there was a sudden silence between the pair of them "I think if she knew how much you secretly loathed her, she wouldn't ever turn her back on you"

"……wh…" Arthur struggled for a moment and then looked at the floor, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground. "If you _knew_ her…how annoying she _really_ is" Morgan smiled slightly at Arthur's comment.

"Arthur the last thing I want is for us to be hostile towards each other, but I need you to believe me" Morgan turned his head back to the floor "Do you believe me?"

Arthur slammed the phone down "No record of Parker Leron"

"It seems you were right" Morgan said, entering the room, with Sabrina on his hip "Where do you think they took him?"

"Probably back to Silph, somewhere where he can die peacefully and silently" Arthur said "I think that information he had for us was a little too important"

"What could it have been?" Morgan asked.

"You read peoples minds, you tell me" Arthur said, there was no reply "It could have been any number of things"

"About Mew?"

"About anything" Arthur sat back in a chair and yawned "Did you see Parker?"

"When?"

"Before they carted him away?" Arthur said "Did you see what he was like, what they had done to him?"

"I did" Morgan kissed Sabrina on the head.

"You can't really imagine someone doing something like that" Arthur said "To another human being"

"If you knew what most 'normal' people thought, then you would know, most people would jump at the chance do wreak mindless destruction, over anything….and everything" Morgan sat down on his sofa, and rested Sabrina on his knee "The purest mind I've ever seen lies in this small girl"

"She's only a baby; she hasn't really seen the horrors of the world yet"

"She will soon enough" Morgan said "In eighteen years time or so, she'll have to look after her mentally insane father" He laughed slightly, the room then went silent, the almost silent noise of a dog barking in the background even stopped. The clock on the wall chimed, Arthur looked to it only to see that it was past one o'clock.

"Shit" He said "Gina is probably a little worried, I said I would be back by eleven at most"

"What do you think she'll make of this situation?" Morgan asked, moving to the bottom of the stairs "She's not exactly the calmest person on the world"

"She'll probably block it out, pretend it never happened and insist we get on with our lives" Arthur laughed "Which in the end, would probably the most sensible thing to do"

"But we both know, Arthur, that's no the way things will happen…"

Arthur opened the front door slowly, being careful not to make any noise. He looked around for a second, the lights had been turned off, and that strange empty, sickly feeling entered his stomach. He was alone, and any number of things could reach out and grab him from the shadows. Arthur wasn't one to be scared of the dark, but he just couldn't calm himself down, he felt nervous, more nervous than ever before. He walked into the kitchen and quickly drunk a glass of water.

He sat down at his kitchen table, sipping another glass of water slowly. What he had seen, what he had to do, it was like nothing he had ever down before, yet, with all his effort, with all his bravery and heart he didn't succeed.

"The way of life" He told himself "Put your heart into something…and it still always slips away"

"Here here" said a gravely voice from behind him.

"Damn it, Parker" Arthur said "What did you have to tell me?"

"Nothing very important" Parker said, sitting down comfortably at the table in no better shape than when Arthur had last seen him "Still, ugh!" He popped his shoulder back into place "I would have liked to tell you"

"Tell me what?" Arthur asked calmly, taking another sip of his drink.

"I can't tell you now, can I?" Parker said, wiping his broken glasses clean and putting them on "I'm dead"

"Good point" Arthur held up his glass, which was met sharply and loudly by Parker's glass, which appeared from nowhere.

"I'll drink to that" Parker said, taking a drink only to have it pour out of the bullet wounds in his chest "Refreshing"

"I'll drink to that" Arthur said raising his glass again, meeting once again with Parker's, and this time, with another glass.

"I will as well" said the stranger; he wore a strange, orange tinted suit with a black waistcoat and a pristine white shirt cut cleanly in half with a blood red tie. His eyes were covered with a pair of pitch black glasses and his hair was slipped back with the use of a lot of hair gel. "After all, we all tried didn't we?"

"All of us" Parker agreed, nodding slightly, taking another swig of his drink. "Even you, Arthur"

"Yep, you to" The stranger said. "You died trying, you both did"

"Really?" Arthur asked "I don't feel dead"

"Well" The stranger removed his glasses, to reveal weirdly red eyes, he smiled "I don't see everything…I might be wrong"

"I have faith in you" Arthur said "The utmost faith"

"I'll drink to that" The red-eyed stranger smiled again.

Arthur woke up, his head resting against the kitchen table. His face felt wet, and when you sat up he realised he had spilt his water over the table. He got up and wiped up the water with a paper towel, then looked out the window. The sun was just rising, the sky was pink and yellow and bird song drifted through the air, everything seemed so still and so peaceful.

"Somewhere out there, Parker is dead" Arthur whispered, he walked over to the kitchen table and sat down again. "But everything is happening as it usually does, the sun rises, the birds sing, the tap drips. Like nothing ever happened at all"

"You were out all night" came a voice from the doorway "Gina is probably worried" Arthur turned around, it was Holly, hastily putting on her boots, her hair was a mess and her clothes were creased and backwards.

"Long night?" Arthur asked

"You could say that" She smiled and moved a straggling piece of hair behind her ear "I gotta rush" She got up quickly and ran home.

"The passion isn't dampened, not by horror, not by fire…not by death" Arthur got up and walked into the living room and looked around "Everything is as it should be, only now, a wisp of shadow hangs over everything, yes. Everything is a little darker than I remember it" Arthur sat down on the couch and looked at the large blank television screen; he picked up the remote and held it to the TV, pausing for a second before pressing the standby button. The room lit up dimply with the glow of the television, on it was a kid's show; Arthur raised an eyebrow, but didn't change the channel. He placed the remote down next to him and continued to watch.

The show seemed to have no dialogue and mainly consisted of two animals chasing each other, endlessly outsmarting the other, every scene ending in the pain, torture and mutilation of the one of the animals. One scene ended with a large dog setting fire to the smaller cat, and having the cat run around for bit before jumping into a pond and fizzling out.

"That would never happen" Arthur said silently to himself "The cat would be dead, or seriously injured" Arthur picked up the remote and changed channel again, this time it was a documentary male dominance in the natural world, it showed various clips of stags, zebras, rams and other creatures attacking one another, until one of them limped away in pain, the narrator ended the show with the words 'These animals have a long way to go before they become civilised'. Arthur raised an eyebrow at the show and tried to think of a criticism.

"Is this some attempt to show our superiority?" Arthur said "To show we're more civilised because we don't fight each other?"

"Arthur?" Gina asked from the doorway "Were you out all night?" Arthur nodded, and continued scowling at the screen as the credit rolled past.

"What were you doing?" She asked, folding her arms, leaning against the door frame.

"How many people do you think are murdered each year?" Arthur asked "How many lives are taken for no reason, no natural reason?"

"I don't know" Gina answered "You didn't answer my question, Arty"

"In Kanto, the total of gunshot victims is close to three thousand" He said, turning off the television and coming to meet his wife in the doorway "Isn't that just outrageous? Yet we brag and shout about how civilised we are. To animals we must look like such peculiar creatures. All this power all the land, yet we still kill our own, and for what?"

"Arty, no politics-"

"A few bucks in a cash register, a few thousand in a bank vault" Arthur looked to the floor "Or maybe just convenience. I don't rightly know why people do these things, but really, animals are so our superiors, they have the intelligence, the stamina and the evolutionary skills to stay alive and live as they should. But us…humans, we destroy, we corrupt and we murder" Arthur looked at his wife "This is a twisted world Gina, and one that I don't want our son to grow up in"

"What are you talking about, Arty?" Gina asked "Everything was the same as it was yesterday, nothing has changed, why are you suddenly like this?"

"Parker. Parker Leron, long time lawyer, financial expert…and friend" Arthur's face hardened "Dead"

"What?"

"Dead. Shot three times and abandoned in a burning building" Arthur sniffed "I saw what used to be my best friend, burnt, beaten and bruised…the smell of his burning flesh is still fresh on my clothes, the ash of his burnt skin is still stuck to my palm" He held up his hand to prove it.

"Oh my God…" Gina said, taking a few steps back "He was murdered?"

"The Paramedics rushed him off to the hospital, or so they say" Arthur wandered into the kitchen and started mopping up the water he had spilt on the table "Me and Morgan rushed there ourselves only to find that no record of Parker Leron was there, or at Saffron"

"Then where is he?" Gina asked "he might not even be dead"

"He's dead" Arthur said "And it's all because of my curiosity"

"Doe he have any family?" Gina asked "Because if he does we should probably inform his family, we wouldn't want his family getting worried or something, would we? His family should know"

"His parents are dead, his sister is in Hoenn, and they haven't spoken for twenty years"Arthur shed a single tear "He didn't have anyone" Gina gasped and started crying, Arthur reached over and patted her shoulder gently.

"Are we making the funeral arrangements then?" Gina asked, taking her hands away from her mouth "Because we need to know who to invite"

"Gina, stop trying to prepare things, finding things to fix up so you don't have to deal with the problem" Arthur said "We have to get leg documents…saying he's dead, otherwise there's no point t in having a funeral" As he said that the phone rang, he let go of his wife's shoulder and went to answer it.

"Hello" He said quietly "Blazer speaking"

"Hello Arthur we regret to inform you that early this morning you're friend, Parker was brought in with serious burn injuries on his legs and chest. His injuries were too severe and he died little after half an hour after he arrived, I'm sorry. The body is waiting for collection in the Viridian hospital morgue"

"Viridian city?" Arthur asked "Why was he taken there, why not Celadon, where he was injured?"

"All I know is, sir, that the body was brought in here, the paramedics quickly left, saying they had another emergency" The person on the other end of the line said quickly, like he was in a rush.

"What time did he arrive?" Arthur looked at his watch; it was just going eight o'clock. "Because the ambulance took him away at about half-past ten last night"

"Really?" There was a moment's silence "He arrived at seven fifteen this morning "Are you sure he was injured last night?"

"Are you joking? You saw what his condition was; I am not likely to forget what time I saw that" Arthur said firmly "Did you recognize the paramedic that brought him in?"

"No, I didn't see them personally" He said "Though the receptionist said they had no emblem to any region, unlike most paramedics"

"Then you agree that something is going on, some sort of conspiracy murder" Arthur said "What about the gun shots?"

"There were no gunshot injuries, sir, burns only" He said.

"The gun shot marks on his chest, three on them" Arthur said "You couldn't have missed them"

"His chest was too badly burnt to see anything, and the absence of autopsy has limited our knowledge of his injuries"

"No autopsy?" Arthur asked "He's a science man; he would have wanted an autopsy"

"I can't take your word that's what he would want, plus the instruction for cremation has been given" He said nervously.

"By who?" Arthur asked.

"I'm sorry" The phone went dead.

"It was the hospital?" Gina asked, her hands entwined together hopefully.

"Yes" Arthur said, putting the phone down lightly "The Viridian City Emergency Hospital"

"Viridian city?" Gina looked puzzled "What he doing there? They'd have to go over the Cerulean Bridge, through Pewter to the dirt track road track in the forest, it's miles away"

"Because they needed a bit of time before he died" Arthur said walking to the door and putting on his jacket "Are you coming?"

"We're going to Viridian?" Gina asked "Just a minute, I'll mark we're leaving"

"…knock first, Gina" Arthur said calmly.

Gina didn't really know what to think about the situation, she hadn't ever truly liked Parker, she found him overly demanding and the fact that nearly everyone he met just did as he asked made her hate him more. Though Arthur had liked him, and she respected that and stayed silent the way she thought someone should.

To be honest Gina had admired Parker's admiral self confidence, she found it refreshing compared to the spineless people she is forced into meeting. But with Parker everything was a demand, no questions asked, Gina get me a jack and coke, don't forget the coaster, you don't want water rings on your coffee table and I guarantee that, he could guarantee nearly everything, though sometimes what he guaranteed wasn't necessarily what the actual reality, he still acted as if it was, he was a lawyer after all. A damn fine lawyer, Gina thought. Never lost a case, never lost his nerve, he always stayed cool under pressure, someone sued for a million and he would rap up the case in a matter of minutes, he amazed her in that respect. He's a remarkable person. _Was_ a remarkable person. Because now he's dead.

"You haven't said anything for the whole journey" Arthur said, not turning his head "That's very unlike you, Gina"

"I haven't got much to talk about. Nothing appropriate for now anyway" She raised her hand and bit her nail, she used to bite her nails when she was younger, he mother used to tell her off horribly for the state of her finger nails, though, when something came up, whether it was sad, romantic or embarrassing she bit them, sometimes till they bled.

"Don't bite your nails" Arthur pushed her hand down from her mouth, keeping his eyes firmly on the road "And what do you mean appropriate, Parker wouldn't care what you had to say, he probably doesn't even care that he's dead" Arthur had known Parker since he graduated from Viridian University, he was his 'Business Anatomy' tutor, and taught him everything he needed to know about the companies of the regions, Silph being the biggest back then, before the Alien, before the it's downfall, when Arthur used to think Silph was a business to above all other, a business he would happily own, and business to aim his dreams at. A lot changed though.

" Do you really think that?" Gina asked, pulling of the frayed and chewed bits of nail off her finger "Do you think he cares where he's gone? Maybe he's happier there, he never did seem very happy to me"

"Because he was the type to be happy" Arthur said "He was the type that wanted to be happy, but saw that it got in the way. That's why he never got married, or had any children"

Gina looked out the window, they were just entering Viridian forest, one of the only nature preserves left in Kanto, it went on for miles in all directions and many rumours have been started that their a strange creatures living deep within the cursed woods. Many constriction companies had planned to remove some of the forest, too extend Viridian, and make more housing. Viridian forest is a landmark though, and no one can destroy it. A simple dirt track had been marked so cars can travel much faster from Pewter City to Viridian, other than that, Viridian is almost cut off from the rest of Kanto, the only civilised settlement anywhere nearby was a small town called Pallet, which was more of a country club than an actual town, it was the home to most of the rich names on Kanto and did not like to trade with or haven much to do with the poorer places in the region.

"This brings back memories" Arthur said, peering out his window into the darkness of the trees, they had been travelling for a good seven hours now "I still remember when I first left this place"

"Viridian City" Gina said "Not a nice place. I don't know why you even went to school here, it's a violent city, one that I wish not to spend too much time in"

"We won't be too long" Arthur said.

"Hide in your shell, now!" Shouted a stern looking man, his face was wrinkled into a permanent expression of puzzlement, nonetheless, the small reptilian creature did as he was told and he tucked his head into his shell, his arms and legs following soon after.

"He did it!" The man shouted "He did it this time, what did you do?" Warren ivy stepped out of a doorway and wrote something down quickly.

"Nothing much, I just increased the obedience modifier. He should do what ever you tell him too, as long as he understands the command. One problem I think we might be facing is the orders, the long strings of words I think they find hard to understand. Which is why I suggest creating a specific word learning scheme, where if you say 'hide' he will do, automatically on hearing that word" Ivy got out a rod which unfolded one into a protective stick, he went over to the animals and poked in sharply "Though if we plan to sell, we should probably create some sort of manual, listing the names of the phrases they understand"

"They need to be catchy then?" The man said, looking at the pathetic creature on the ground, it was still residing in it's smooth shell, since the prototype they had managed to smooth out 'Squirtle's' shell so it wasn't so threatening to look at. Ivy poked the creature again this time harder.

"Obedience still needs to be analysed" He said, flicking a switch on his stick making the end spark slightly, he poked the creature one more time, making it yelp out slightly in pain, it shot out of it's shell and ran quickly into the corner of the room, recoiling more and more as Ivy stepped closer.

"The real problem is getting them to stay put, if we sell one of these creatures to a child, the creature will simply run away, they won't stay, and they certainly won't fight" Ivy poked the creature again, making it yelp once more "I have no idea where to start"

"Perhaps sheer fear of what will happen to them will be enough" the man said "If they disobey, they get punished, like what you're doing now"

"Possibly, but it wouldn't be a certain fix to the problem" Warren collected the shivering creature in his arms, walking slowly to the room he had just exited from "Plus who says that the creature won't fight back once the owner punishes them, the powers these creatures have could cause lots of injury" Ivy, placed the scared creature in a glass cage that was filled with water.

Ivy was a scientist, and cared little for anything that wasn't the assignment he had been given, his sole purpose at the moment was to supply to creatures with full obedience, so that it would do anything that the owner had asked him to do. Though the creatures he was experimenting on obviously were obviously in a great deal of fear and pain, he saw past that, and focused on what would happen when he succeeded. He watched the shark eyed creature swim for a moment before being distracted by his new friend and co-worker, Edward.

"What's this new creature here?" He asked, looking at some photos and notes on Ivy's desk. The creature was an overgrown worm; its head was almost grotesquely large compared with the rest of its body. On its head were two long segmented antennas which curled right round, close to its strong crushing mandibles, it had large, circular patterns on either side of its forehead, which were black with colourful rings around them that picked up the light just enough to make the rest of the patch look like an eye though the actual eyes were smaller and much lower down, nearly covered completely by the thick, wiry sensory hairs that covered its entire body, it looked obscene, yet the green and gold patterns that curled gracefully across its back made it look so majestic and beautiful as well.

"It's a creature that another department is working on, they're trying to get it to evolve like a regular caterpillar" Ivy opened another cage, letting a small green amphibian sheepishly crawl out looking around in wonder "So far they've had no luck" Ivy struck the creature harshly in it's left thigh, pointing to the door. The creature recoiled slightly before limping slightly to the door, and looking behind itself to see if Ivy was following.

"Poison gas, now" Ivy said simply, a gas mask fastened securely round his mouth and nose, Edward stood watching interestingly from the opposite side if Ivy's office where a thick Perspex window had been placed for viewings "Bulbasaur"

The creature turned around quickly and stared at Ivy, its red eyes blinking continually in confusion, it turned around again and gazed at Edward through the window, it turned it's head to the side before turning again and again, examining the room.

"What's it doing?" Edward asked through an intercom "Why is it just looking around?"

"It's examining the room for ways out" Ivy answered "It won't find any. Bulbasaur, poison gas, now!" The leaves on the creature's back unfurled slightly, and released a silent unscented substance that melted seamlessly into the air.

"The trouble is, with this one" Ivy started "We want to make the gas only effective against the other creatures, we have a long way to go yet, but we're getting there, come out here for a second and bring out subject two" Edward nodded and disappeared for a second, he came out wearing a gas mask and carrying a fiery orange lizard in his arms, it was the previously named Charmander.

"Now so far we've had little problem with this one, but we haven't yet tried him in combat, give him an order, Edward" Ivy said "fire breath or flame burst"

"Okay. Fire breath now!" Edward ordered "on Bulbasaur" The creature looked inquisitive for a second, before curling itself up on the floor and closing its yellow glowing eyes.

"What do I do, now?" Edward asked, looking across at "Shall I punish it?"

"Kick it, slap it do anything" Ivy said growing impatient "Bulbasaur, attack that creature now!" Bulbasaur looked puzzled for second before charging the towards the creature and ramming into it using its shoulder, the orange lizard rolled over quickly looking up in shock and worry. It locked onto Bulbasaur and breathed in deeply.

"This should be monitored closely" Ivy said, reaching into his pocket to receive a small handheld video camera "Watch, now, Edward" Charmander breathed our heavily igniting it's breath with it's platinum teeth and covering the other creature in a cloak of fire, it screamed out in pain and kept doing so. When the flames stopped emerging from Charmander's mouth, Bulbasaur still remained alight, moving quickly around whining loudly in hysterics before crumpling to the floor in the corner of the room, dead. The flames were put out to reveal the charred, dried out remains of Bulbasaur's body; the leaves on its back flaked down off its body and disintegrated into ash on contact with the floor. Its eyes were closed.

"Hmm" Ivy said thoughtfully "I think we need to work on that"

The car stopped. They had reached the Viridian City Emergency Room, being such a secluded city, it was the only source of medical treatment, and viridian was far from small. In and out, in and out. The patients flowed like water, going in one door as another comes out the opposite one. Arthur looked at the building for a few minutes, before opening his door and getting out slowly.

"Do you want to wait here?" Arthur asked, leaning into the car slightly "He looks a mess, Gina, I think it might shock you"

"I'm a strong, gal, Arty" She answered "I can handle a few burns"

"If you say so"

They walked in through the double doors, it was hectic alright. People spewing up blood in one corner, while another scratches his skin through, letting it bleed, and still scratching.

"There's nothing like this in Celadon" Gina said, a man with a quickly bandaged wrist rushed through the doors; he was holding a bag, which contained red ice and something else…that twitched.

"Is that his hand?" Gina asked, moving closer to her husband.

"Let's go to the front desk" They walked quickly

"Why are there so many accidents here?" Gina asked, looking round at the mayhem "So much pain in one room, it hurts just to see it"

"Viridian is a violent place, Gina, death is not unusual here, I think that's one reason they brought him here, instead of anywhere else" Arthur approached the desk "Parker Leron, we hear he died, we're here to see the body"

"Leron, okay" The receptionist opened up a folder, and scrolled down a long list of names "I'm sorry, did you say were hear to see the body?"

"Yes"

"His body cremated early this morning" he said "Arthur Blazer, right? Yeah, a doctor phoned you this morning, I remember"

"He said to come and view the body, are you sure you're looking at the right person?" Arthur asked, impatience and stress getting to him.

"Sorry. Parker Leron, fifty three years old, born August 3rd 2123, cremation issued at ten O'clock this morning, a DNR order and no permission for autopsy" The receptionist closed his folder "It's the right name"

"We live in Celadon city; it took us eight hours to get here, we came to see the body under the doctor's advice, and Parker was cremated no more that two hours after I talked to him"

"This is really nothing to do with me, you can speak to the doctor if you want" The receptionist put the folder away in a filing cabinet "I'm sure he'll clear this up for you"

"I'm sure he will"

"I can assure you sir; I said he would be cremated this morning. I waited for a good while for you to show up" The doctor said.

"Two hours. We live in Celadon!" Arthur said "I wanted to discuss his autopsy"

"There was nothing to discuss, there was no permission given for one and it's not within your power to give it" The doctor began to walk away.

"Listen! I know there's something going on-" Arthur started.

"Arty-" Gina said quickly.

"And I know this hospital has something to do with it" Arthur walked closer to the doctor and stared right into his eyes "I will find out, and then I will sue you for malpractice, Dr…"

"Dr. Fuji and, please sir, calm down" The doctor said "The Ashes are in the morgue, collect them if you wish" He turned and left.

Arthur had a furious look on his face, he was breathing heavily and his throat was dry, a rasping sound came out of his mouth with each breath. His breathing became slower and more croaky.

"Arty" Gina said "Perhaps we should go home now" Arthur made no comment, and for the first time fell to his knees and wept.

It was a small ceremony, held in the Celadon graveyard, a handful of people arrived, few of them Parker knew well. The vicar said his piece then left without a second thought, the crowd dissipated when the rain started till only five remained. Arthur, Gina, Morgan, Mark and the baby.

"His sister didn't show up" Arthur said holding an umbrella.

"Maybe the letter got lost in the mail, Ecruteak is a long way away" Gina said "I can't imagine she wouldn't show"

"They haven't spoken for a long time" Arthur said "She was probably busy, you guys wait in the car, I'll be along in a minute" They did so, but Morgan stayed.

"We still don't know what he wanted to tell us" Morgan said "He died. Trying to tell us, it must have been important"

"Why?" Arthur said, turning to face Morgan "It probably wasn't anything special. A bit of news on Silph, maybe the creature wasn't dead, maybe the clones were getting more advanced, maybe they died as well. It could have been any number things, but I cannot imagine anything that could be said, that would be worth dying over"

"Do you think they will come after me?" Morgan asked "Parker was the only person keeping them from killing me, probably, if they think I killed this creature then they will kill me, I can assure it, I can feel it"

"I don't know what I can say, no one is going to believe us" Arthur turned back to the plaque in the ground "I could hire a bodyguard for you"

"I don't want that, having my life forever followed by a stranger" Morgan shook his head "I don't want that. I didn't tell you this before, Arthur, but if one person in particular was too blame for this…I know who it would be"

"Who?"

"Samuel Oak. A detestably charming young man, he's manipulative, twists your words against you, and enjoys doing it" Morgan closed his eyes "Something is wrong inside him, something that doesn't recognize what most people do"

"He's a psychopath?" Arthur asked.

"He's more than that, he's capable of so much, he knows what he wants and he knows he'll get it. He has a tight vision, he sees only what he wants to, and if he sees something different, then he gets of rid of it" Morgan breathed out heavily "He_ is_ going to kill me. I know it"

"Then why won't you accept my help?" Arthur asked.

"Because I _know_ he will, it's not an inkling, it's not an almost certainty, I know I will die. And there's nothing I can do about it" Morgan didn't look worried or nervous about this, he said it naturally "I've accepted it. My wife's folks live two blocks down from me. When I die, Sabrina will stay with them"

"You can't just accept it, it hasn't happened yet, and there must be a way to stop it" Arthur said "You can't just give up…"

"I don't want to sound hostile here, Arthur" Morgan turned away and started to walk away "But this is my business… and you're not apart of it"

Arthur was now left alone in the rain; the wind blew strongly, tearing the umbrella out of his grasp and high into the air. Arthur didn't chase it around; instead he lowered his arms and walked towards his car.

Arthur didn't know what to think, his best friend had died not two days ago and another had informed him that he also was doomed for death. Arthur had never faced anything like this before, the worst problem he had ever had was not making enough money last year, which risked his casino not having any pool tables. He had never encountered death in his life, his parents were living a pleasant life in Fuchsia City, his grandparents were both dead before he was born, he never had any pets, so death was pretty much a new road for him, one which he was unprepared for.

"Do you think you could drop me off outside Holly's house?" Mark asked, putting Giovanni in the baby seat and tightening his seatbelt. "We agreed to spend the day together"

"Nice weather for it" Gina said looking out the window "I'm sure we can"

"Thank you" Mark said, and said nothing else for the rest of the journey

The car pulled up outside Holly's house, a Mark quickly got out, kissing Giovanni's head before hand. Holly was sitting on the steps to her house, her face lit up when she saw the car stop, Mark greeted Holly with a passionate kiss, which Gina and Arthur both raised an eyebrow to.

"Should they be allowed to do that in public?" Gina asked, waving goodbye to Mark as the car sped away "It was almost as if they were having sex there and then"

"It's just their way of saying hello" Arthur said, keeping his eyes on the road. He was a careful driver, a little too precautious some people thought "Times have changed, Gina, that's normal behaviour now"

"Well it shouldn't be" Gina said "I enjoy sex as much as the next woman, but having it paraded through the streets…"

"They weren't parading through the streets, Gina" Arthur said "No one was even there"

"We were"

"Yes, but, we're like family to them now" Arthur smiled "They're our best friends really"

"Oh, that's okay then" Gina said smiling "Next time your loving mother comes to visit what say get hot busy right in front of her?"

"That's not what I meant" Arthur said laughing slightly "It's different when you know them, and they weren't exactly having sex, they were both dressed"

"Pfft. Did you see what Holly was wearing?" Gina chuckled "I could've sworn she was a prostitute"

"Maybe she is" Arthur said "I mean, before Mark came along. A guy here, a guy there. Everyday you'd come home and find her under another one, maybe she was trying to raise a little extra cash" Gina looked very un-amused.

"Holly is not a prostitute" Gina said "If she was… well, we would know"

"I don't actually think she is a prostitute, Gina" Arthur said "I was joking, can't you tell?"

"I didn't think you made jokes anymore" Gina said "You've taken Parker's death really hard"

"Well, now I know what I've got to do" Arthur said "And while I'm doing it I'm going to enjoy my life, spend time with my family. Loosen up a little, I have to be prepared for that fact I might get murdered at anytime"

Gina went completely silent for a few seconds.

"Murdered?" She asked "What is it you plan on doing, Arty?" Gina looked deathly worried.

"I need to find the truth" Arthur said "Gina, there's something I really need to tell you, about Silph, and about what they're doing"

_So, basically, Arthur tells Gina about whats going on in the next chapter and a little discovery is made. _


	5. It's Super Effective

_This chapter explains alot of technical stuff, about how poke-balls work and how Pokemon owning rights are worked out, as I thought it was a little generous of the Kantolian government to allow these snt nosed 10 year olds to own as many of these creatures as they can. So I introduced these things called "Monsters-taxes"._

Arthur explained and explained and explained once more, about Silph cloning Mew, making new species of animals. About Morgan, about what will happen to him. Gina found it all hard to believe, a conspiracy in Celadon, a calm, tranquil city, Parker had died because of his creature…

"Do you think we should call the police?" Gina asked, looking very worried indeed "It would take a bit of explaining, but I really think we should get some professional help"

"Convincing the Celadon Police department that there has been a conspiracy involving the most powerful company in Kanto" Arthur shook his head "They probably hear it everyday, some paranoid psycho saying they abducted him or som-" the car screeched to a halt causing both Gina and Arthur to swing forward, almost hitting their heads on the windscreen, Gina leant backwards and arched her back, moaning in pain.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" She moaned again "Oh, you've messed up my back" Gina writhed a little, squinting before looking up at a huge advertising board, wide eyed. It had just been finished, some of the constructers were just standing back to admire their handy work. It stood about twenty foot high by forty foot wide, with massive yellow writing stretching across the entire board, the blue outline stood slightly raised from the rest of the board and shone brightly in the sun. It said Pokemon. Underneath that there were three pictures, all shiny and detailed the first was a green frog, the second an orange lizard and the third a blue turtle, at the bottom was a tagline, it said 'Have you pocketed the monsters?'

"Po-kee-mon?" Gina said, raising an eyebrow "Are those-"

"Yes, I'm sure of it" Arthur said calmly "they've started selling them already" Arthur opened his car door and stepped out, to get a better look of the board, Morgan was already there and was now heading towards Arthur.

"Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charmander" Morgan said "Those were the three they had completed while I still worked there, god knows how many they have by now"

"And they fight each other" Arthur said "To the death?"

"No, preferably not" Morgan said "They're expensive to make, until they're unconscious. Bulbasaur has poison, Squirtle has water and Charmander has fire"

"How?"

"The scientific basis of their powers of unknown to me" Morgan said "Though, they fight, they obey and they are slaves" Gina got out of the car, and looked at Morgan.

"That's cruel" Gina said "I'm sure animal rights will have some things to say about this"

"Animal rights will do what they're told" Morgan said "'Animal rights' is paid to keep quiet, that was thought of long before any of the creatures were even made. By all law these aren't even animals, which means they don't have rights, which means they can do whatever the hell they want to do with them, and no one can stop it"

All three of them looked up at the board, in each of their hearts spawned the beginning of an idea. Each one of them was going to at least try to stop this.

"Pokemon? What does that even mean?" Gina asked, sipping coffee from her mug "It's certainly not a word I've come across" The three of them had stopped off at a café too relax for minute, give some time to discuss what they had just seen. It was a quiet place, practically deserted. It was a recently constructed place and business was still slow for it, two waitresses chatted over the counter, while the only other customer was hidden behind a newspaper with a large slice of cheesecake in front of him.

"I don't know for sure" Morgan said "But I think it stands for pocket monsters"

"That's what the slogan said" Gina mumbled, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin "Crappy name though, not very imaginative"

"That's not really the issue right now" Arthur said, with a sizable piece of chocolate cake in front of him "If they're going to sell them, we really need to do something. Because people will buy them, and they'll become very popular very quickly"

"There was so much to do when I was working their" Morgan said "They can't have made many more, if any. And the attacks hadn't been finished yet, and then there was the storage issue. The obedience and the sizes, they can't have done it by now"

"Storage issue?" Arthur asked, eating a fork full of cake "What storage issue?"

"Well. I don't know much, but we had long talks and meetings about how they would be stored. We wanted something magical. Lots of designs were planned for anti-molecular deconstruction, which would reshape the animals into smaller version of them selves and be locked inside a small CD or disk, or something. Their they would be fed with all the nutrients they need"

"If they obey any command, why do they need to be stored?" Arthur asked "Surely they'll stay put if they're asked"

"Search me" Morgan said "Perhaps they want to show off as much technical power and knowledge as they possibly can"

"Excuse me" Said the man holding the newspaper "Are you talking about those pokemon things?" Arthur, Gina and Morgan turned around slowly.

"Yes" Arthur said "Why?"

"My daughter is obsessed with the blue one, the turtle one" The man chuckled "it's only been two days and she's made me pre-order one from the depot"

"The depot?" Morgan asked.

"It used to be the depot… it's by the 'Game Corner' that casino" The man said "It's called Poke-mansion or something now"

"Game Corner?" Gina said, and turned to Arthur "Your Casino"

"There it is" Arthur said coldly "The Poke-Mansion"

"Do we dare go inside?" Morgan asked, looking up at the shop's sign. It was painted and decorated to match the design of Arthur's casino, which was no longer in his care. He managed it, but Mark now did most of the work in maintaining it.

"I think we should" Gina said, both Arthur and Morgan turned to her and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Parker died for this secret" Gina calmly said, still looking at the sign "If we want to find out what the hell has been going on over at Silph this is obviously the first place we start asking questions"

"Asking questions is probably what got Parker killed" Arthur said.

"Parker didn't ask questions, because he already knew all the answers" Morgan mumbled "He knew the truth, it was his job not to care about the morals of the subject and as soon as he let his guard down and decided to do the right thing, then…" Morgan paused for a moment "We've got to remember that we're not up against super villains from the comic books, these people aren't doing this because it's evil, they're doing it for profit… they're business men"

"Are you telling us that? Or are you telling yourself that?" Arthur asked, he turned around to face Gina and realised she was gone. The sliding doors of the majestic building were just closing.

"Gina!" Arthur called, and followed her in. Inside wasn't magical at all; it was plain like any other office, white lights piercing down from the ceiling, blue, patterned carpet with dingy grey walls, no terrific effects or statues the size of killer whales, along the far wall were counters with overly happy cashiers on the other side, a big banner hung from the ceiling reading 'Pocket Yours Today!'. What drew most attention was a large cage in corner of the room that made sniffing noises from time to time, a plaque on the wall above the cage read 'Proof before Purchase', inside was a sandy coloured creature with rough scaly skin, on it's back were lots of thick leaf shaped quills which looked harmless to touch, on it's forearms were sharp claws that looked lethal. It's large, lidless black eyes examined Arthur closely.

"Please sir" Said one of the cashiers "Can I help you?"

"What is that creature there?" Arthur asked, Gina and Morgan were now looking over at the cage with fascination "It doesn't look to happy"

"That's what we call a Sandslash, it's fully grown now, but when we got it, it was the cutest little thing ever. If you want to pre-order your own sir you'll have to wait longer, they're just working out the defects of this particular item. It's very strong and loyal, and just a little temperamental" The cashier's smile never left her face.

"How much for that one there?" Arthur asked "I want to free it"

"I'm sorry sir, that ones not available" The cashier smiled wider "If you want you can pre-order one-"

"Yes so you've said" Arthur interrupted "Is that creature being fed, is it being looked after?"

"That creature receives just the right amount of care it needs" The cashier said "Now if you're interested you can buy some Pokeballs in advance"

"How much do these 'Pokemon' cost?" Gina asked.

"Depending on the age and power of one, they can cost up to three hundred dollars" The cashier said "Though that's excluding monster-taxes"

"Monster-taxes?" Arthur asked.

"After buying you're first Pokemon you are entitled to pay a bonus fee every year, if you refuse to pay then your Pokemon shall be taken away along with any others you may have caught" The Cashier said "They shall also take away your licence"

"Licence? Licence for what?" Morgan asked "Catching these things?"

"Once you receive your first Pokemon you also receive a Pokemon Licence, this licence allows you too catch other wild Pokemon and also get discounts from all Pokemon Trademark stores" The cashier took a deep breath "You have to remember that with each other Pokemon you catch it the wild, the grand sum of you're monster-tax will increase"

"So, they're releasing them into the wild?" Arthur turned and asked Morgan "That's not so bad"

"They can also be caught" Morgan said "What exactly are you supposed to do with them when you've caught them?"

"You can keep them as pets or…" The cashier disappeared for one second into the back rooms of the building, she then returned with leaflet "You can sign up and become a registered Pokemon trainer, breeder or Gym Leader" Arthur picked up the leaflet looked back up to the cashier.

"Does it cost money?" He asked.

"If you plan on becoming a Gym Leader you must first go on multiple courses and schools, this costs a grand total of two thousand dollars, if you would like to pre-book a place in the Pokemon University in Viridian City that would coat a down payment of two hundred dollars" The Cashier smiled "Does any of the before mentioned information appeal to any of you?" There was a silence as the three friends looked at each other.

"What are Pokeballs?" Morgan asked, stepping to the front.

"Pokeballs, or the 'Pokemon Storage System' are orbs made from all natural and decomposable material, made from the nuts from the Apricorn tree. The system works from a new found technology which is called AMD, or anti-molecular deconstruction- "

"The Pokemon Storage System?"

"Yes-"

"I'll take three" Morgan said.

"Great choice sir, that will cost six hundred dollars" The Cashier smiled "If you want we can sign you up for a Pokemon Platinum Card which will save you money in the future depending on how much you buy"

"Do you practice this in front of a mirror, sunshine?" Morgan asked, collecting his items from the counter, the cashiers smile broke a little bit. "Thank you for you're help" Morgan said a left. Gina and Arthur stayed behind briefly.

"In this Pokemon trainer thing… these creatures have to fight?" Arthur asked.

"The Pokemon participate in a 'Pokemon Battle' which is a battle of wits and skill between two Pokemon trainers" The cashier said.

"Surely it's a battle of wits and skill between the two Pokemon" Gina said "The Trainers just own them, which is sick inside itself"

"The Trainers are responsible for the actions of the creatures, if the trainer doesn't give a command fast enough, or he doesn't know the correct name for an attack, than the Pokemon won't know what to do and will be knocked unconscious" The cashier smiled "This may sound harsh, but with the latest healing technology, the Pokemon are put through and are left without bruises, cuts or burns"

"If this technology is so brilliant than why isn't it being used in hospitals to heal ourselves" Gina asked "Unless there are some side effects"

"The energy used is radioactive energy which causes immense pain in the human brain, Pokemon are almost immune"

"Almost"

"Gina lets go" Arthur said "Remember to look after that creature" Arthur said, pointing to the caged animal and looking back at the cashier.

Morgan was standing in the parking lot holding one of the balls in his hands; he looked at it with great confusion for a second before pressing the button in the centre of the orb, the ball split in two and opened up like a clam. Inside were mechanical wires that connected to a black centre that was hollow.

"The original idea" Morgan said to himself "How did they get t to work?"

"John, you just spent six hundred dollars on equipment made by the company we're protesting against" Gina said harshly "Why?"

"I need to see how they work" Morgan answered, while Arthur was looking through the 'Pokemon Trainer' leaflet, and reading heavily.

"For a limited time only" He said looking up "For a limited only us friendly folk down at Silph Co are asking you, the public for the new ideas for collectable monsters" Arthur looked down again and began to read the guidelines. "Try to be exotic and exciting, for example, think of you're favourite animal, then give him claws, or make him breath fire or even create a cross between you're two favourite animals, exclamation point" Arthur said.

"How can they do that?" Gina asked, snatching the leaflet "No responsible parent would allow such violence and disrespect" As Gina stopped talking two children walked past clutching their mothers hands and talking loudly.

"Mine is a HUGE poisonous snake with a rattle and yellow eyes and can swallow you whole and its purple!" The boy said excitedly up to his mother "Do you thin k they'll pick my idea, Mommy? Mom!"

"Yes, dear, I'm sure they will" His mother replied.

"No they won't they'll pick mine, mine is romantic and beautiful, it's a pony with a long fiery mane and tail and when its runs it runs real fast and you can never fall off and it's faster than the speed of light and it's so pretty" The little girl said.

"Adorable" Arthur said darkly "How could she let them do that?"

"They're just kids, Arty" Morgan said "Plus, I'm sure they're mother just thinks they're toys like he rest of the public"

"That creature in there" Gina raised an eyebrow "That, 'Sandslash'"

"Yeah" Arthur said "What about it?"

"Those claws could kill someone in one swipe" Gina said "Imagine of one went wild, it could kill its owner, which would probably be a child"

"Which is why they've made it impossible for it to hurt anyone, any people that is" Morgan said "I don't know how… they've done something though, they would have to, they could lose billions if a child could hurt"

"It's dangerous" Gina said.

"Any violence these creatures show…" Arthur looked at Gina "Is well justified"

"Today is an exciting day!" A newsreader announced, Arthur and Gina were now safely at home, Arthur, was sitting on the sofa a cup of hot chocolate in his hand, with whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top. Much could be said about Arthur's eating habits, he enjoyed food, he enjoyed making it, enjoyed the smell of it, and most all, enjoyed the taste of it. He had now gained some noticeable weight, which Gina was beginning to be worried about. Next to Arthur was Mark, who was also watching the television, combing his fingers through Holly's hair, who was on the floor, holding Giovanni, looking up as the news report started. "Silph has decided that today will be the first day that the new species they have genetically created shall be released into the wild, available for capture to anyone with a license" The news cut to video footage of Professor Samuel Oak and the President of Silph, Joseph Weed, shaking hands and opening a large cage, in which a large collection of animals strode carefully out, seeing the path clear some of them ran, while some watched the spectators around them, in fear.

"They look weird" Mark said.

"Look at that little guy!" Holly shouted, pointing at a little yellow rodent-like creature sniffing around the camera man's feet "He's adorable"

"He's unnatural" Arthur said "He shouldn't exist"

"I'm just saying" Holly said, shrugging, and tending to Giovanni again, who was staring, transfixed at the TV screen. "Seems this little guy likes them too"

"And anyway, boss" Mark said "If this company is so evil, why are they letting these things free?"

"Because of this monster tax thing" Arthur said "The more of them you own, the more you have to pay, they'll get so rich, so fast"

"I see" Mark said "Do you wanna get one?"

"No" Arthur said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Why not?" Mark asked "We won't treat it badly, we won't make it fight or anything, it'll be like a pet"

"I'm not going to sponsor this" Arthur said "It's wrong, they're like slaves"

"…can I get one?" Mark asked.

"Do you want to keep living here?" Arthur said, looking across at Mark, who shrugged.

"I have been thinking" Mark said.

"That's unusual in it's self" Arthur mumbled.

"I've been getting excellent pay at the casino, I miss my own privacy, I have a girl to look after now" He smiled at Holly, who was still watching the TV "Maybe I should get my own place"

"It's up to you" Arthur said, getting up slowly.

"Okay" Mark said, scowling slightly.

In the kitchen, Gina was looking in the fridge. She closed the door and frowned. "I think our maid is stealing from us" She said.

"What're you basing that on?" Arthur asked, dropping his mug in the dishwasher and sitting down at the table.

"She bought some pickles the other day, which are pretty much all I eat lately, and now they're gone" She sat down at the table and sighed "She must have stolen them"

"Maybe you ate them all" Arthur said.

"That's not funny"

"Maybe she cooked a meal with them, maybe she didn't get any, maybe you're too god damn paranoid" Arthur said, laughing "Who cares, anyway?"

"If she would sink so low as to steal pickles, what else would she steal?" Gina said, very un amused my Arthur's statement.

"I think mark's moving out" Arthur said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, well, he certainly sounded as if was going to" Arthur smiled "It's about time he left"

"Are you upset?" Gina asked.

"Not really"

"Are you lying?" Gina asked again.

"No"

"He's like a son to you, Arty" Gina said "You're going to miss him"

"Maybe" He said "But it's not like I'm never going to see him again"

"You don't where he'll be moving to" Gina said "He could be moving to Lavender Town, that's where his family lives and that's a long way away"

"I know" Arthur smiled "But he won't be, he won't move too far away from Holly, I can assure you that"

"Hey, Boss" Mark said, from the doorway "I think you should come look at this"

"I for one am appalled at the cruelty and sedition these creatures have been exposed to" Morgan said to an interviewer "These creatures are genetic mutants created for no reason other than to increase the profit of The Silph Corporation"

"Silph says that they created these creatures for children, and so that Kanto will once again be the country of enjoyment and freedom" a man behind the camera said.

"And how ironic that the only way to reclaim the title of 'country of freedom' is to imprison innocent creatures, and then put them into slavery"

"John you idiot!" Arthur shouted, getting his coat from the rack and heading outdoors. The rest of them turned their attention back to the TV, where the camera had moved onto Professor Oak, who was laughing slightly.

"I can assure every viewer, that these animals enjoy what they do" He smiled "The life they were born to live is to obey their owners commands, love them, respect them and even fight for them" Morgan bustled onto the screen and confronted Oak.

"This man himself has said the soul purpose of these… 'Pokemon'… is to make back all the money that Silph has lost over the years!" Morgan shouted "Wasting valuable tax dollars on torturing and butchering creatures that we understand almost nothing about"

"I take it your talking about the alien" Oak said, oak turned his attention back to the camera "Alas the alien that was supposed to be the key component of Silph resurrection was unfortunately a fake, created by some jokers in Pewter City, no doubt trying to re-enact the whole Mt. Moon situation"

"Are you joking?" Morgan asked "That creature was real, I felt it, I have photographic evidence right here in my pocket" Morgan reached into his coat pocket, where he retrieved some pictures, but before the images could be made clear the camera cut away to the president of Silph explaining the biology of a creature called Ratatta.

"While looking much like a mouse, or rat, this creature is actually much more like a badger, in it's strength and stamina" The camera zoomed in on the caged creature "It's loyal and very dependable in almost any situation and is now available for purchase or capture-"

"Enough of that" Gina said, turning the television off.

Arthur hurried through the streets, it was February now and a thin layer of frost covered everything, Arthur breathed out heavily and steam burst out of his mouth like a waft of fire. It was cold, to be sure. Colder than it had been in a long time. He looked around and sighed, a flower cart was being pushed towards him.

"Probably some toothless old hag" He said to himself "Selling flowers to feed her cats" He closed his eyes and awaited the approach.

"Is something wrong?" A sweet voice asked, Arthur opened his eyes to see a sweet face looking at him questioningly from behind a wooden cart "Shouldn't you be off home, or something?"

"I'm seeing a friend" He answered.

"Ah, well, would this special 'friend' like a present?" She asked smiling "Nothing speaks mysterious yet sentimental like the right collection of flowers, or maybe some perfume…" she picked up a bottle of ochre coloured liquid and sprayed some on the collar of Arthur's jacket.

"Perfume?" he side, wiping away the smell "No thanks… it smells good though"

"Thanks" She said, putting the top on the bottle and sighing "I'll see you" she said, and started pushing her cart away.

"Where are you going?" Arthur asked, turning round and stopping her.

"Somewhere" She replied, smiling "If you're asking if I have a home, no I don't"

"You live on the streets" Arthur said.

"One of those 'gypo bastards' everyone is talking about" She half laughed, then sighed deeply "My whole family has lived like this, and I know for a fact that we don't ruin anything for anyone, we're not trying to rip people off, we're trying to make the city a more… colourful place"

Arthur didn't say anything, but noticed how thin her arm was, how pale she was.

"I know" He said, letting her go "Would you like to get some soup, or something?" He asked.

"Really?"

"Really. You look like you could use a good meal" He said, draping his coat over her shoulders "I'm buying"

"Don't you have some place to be?" She asked, snuggling into the warmth of the coat, pulling her cart behind her with one hand. "You looked in a rush"

"I was… but you seem more in need" He smiled "I used to think that the city was refreshing, especially this city. I never thought it would change"

"We're not trying to change it" she said, looking up at him.

"Yes you are" He said "And I now believe it's a good thing"

"Why?"

"This city is being corrupted, the propaganda, the fires…these new creatures" Arthur shuddered "I believe a new colourful outlook on this city, is what it truly needs. Flowers, perfume… beauty"

"The Pokemon?" she asked "Do you know anything about them?"

Arthur laughed, and scratched his nose.

"I know more than most" He said "Less than some"

"That's helpful" She smiled and stopped, looking up at where they had reached. It was a restaurant, one of the hottest restaurants in Celadon 'The Longer Road' it was called, named after a speech made by the last President Kanto ever had, or so the public thought.

"I… I can't go in there" The girl whispered "I really should get going"

"They'll let you in" Arthur assured her, passing the handle of her cart to a very confused valet parker. "Trust me" They entered through the front entrance, and already many eyes were looking at them.

"Sir" The head waiter called "I do apologise sir, but we must insist on a dress code"

"Leonard" Arthur patted the waiter on the shoulder and sighed "This is a very good friend of mine, who has just finished her first night in her first play down in the Old Barrel Theatre, she has not had time to change and is very hungry" Arthur smiled "Perhaps you could make an acceptation"

"It's okay, I really don't mind" The girl said.

"No, no!" Leonard said "I give you my humblest apologies, madam" he left immediately to setup a table.

"Madam" she laughed "Quite a step up from flower-whore"

As they walked towards their table, many eyes followed them, she was not exactly dressed for an evening out, wearing a lime green flowing skirt and a small black tank top which drew much attention, as did the flowery head band and the nose stud.

"I'm a little scared" She said, leaning over their table "Everyone is staring at me"

"Forget it" He said, picking up his menu "Order whatever the hell you want"

"Really?" She asked "Even the lobster?"

"Lobster, steak… peacock" He smiled "Just order"

They quickly ordered the food, she spoke nervously a lot of the time, the waiter grunted a lot at her requests, and barely hearing her made him a lot more impatient.

"That perfume you sprayed me with" Arthur said "What was that brand?"

"Brand?" She laughed "No, no! I made that myself, it's all natural and stuff, mainly rose water and natural oils, made all by myself" She smiled, proudly.

" Really?"

"Yeah" She tucked a piece of straggling hair behind her ear "I'm not really like the rest of my family, I really wanna get a company together y'know"

"I know" He smiled, intrigued by the story.

"Get a name for myself, best perfume manufacturer in Celadon" She sipped her glass of water "And when I do that, I'll sit back and raise a family"

"You want a perfume factory?" Arthur laughed lightly "Here in Celadon?"

"Oh my god" The girl laughed "You've got a wedding ring, oh my god, you're not like one of those perverts are you? One of those guys that picks up young girls in the street because they're unhappy with their own wives?"

"No" He said, drinking his water "I'm a happy guy, for the most part, great wife, a lovely woman"

"Any kids?" she asked putting her elbows on the table and leaning in.

"One, small baby 11 months old" Arthur put his water down "His birthday in… three weeks, 13th of March"

"Adorable" She said.

"He really is" Arthur said quietly.

"May I ask a question?" The girl asked "You obviously have a lot of money, a family, places to go and places to be… a generally important life to live"

"…and?"

"Why'd you help me?" She asked pushing her hair back again "I mean, most people just ignore me, like I was invisible or something… you stopped, and…and listened to me, heh, even bought me dinner" she laughed.

"I came across a realisation" Arthur said.

"And what was this realisation?"

"You're a person" he smiled "And every person has story they can tell, what they do, who they are, aspirations for the future, influences along the way… "

"…sometimes they're not so fascinating though" She smiled again.

"Maybe, but yours is not one of those stories" He swallowed deeply and coughed lightly "I'm gonna give you a some money"

"…what?" she laughed "Just for the dinner right?"

"No" He got out his wallet and took out some money "I always keep two thousand dollars on me, and I want you to have it"

"Two thousand dollars?" She looked confused as he handed her the money "For what?"

"A business has to start somewhere" He said "…what's you name?"

"My name?..." She looked up from the money "Hayden… Hayden Erika Applebaum, thank you" she said shyly.

"My pleasure" Arthur said, helping the waiter with the dishes. They ate relatively quickly, after the meal they got up and headed towards the door, Hayden handed Arthur's coat back and smiled, embarrassed,

"Thank you…so much" She embraced Arthur in a tight hug and kissed his neck lightly "You have changed my entire life" She smiled and left, taking hold of her flower cart and heading down the road.

"You're welcome" he said, smiling.

"Morgan!" Arthur shouted, banging his fist on the front door of John's house "Morgan, let me in, I need to talk to you" The door opened slowly to reveal Morgan in a dressing gown, holding a martini in one hand and looking rather surprised.

"What is it?" He asked, whispering "I just put Sabrina to bed"

"Why did you do that?" Arthur asked, pushing himself inside.

"Do what?"

"Go on public television and protest!" Arthur shouted "We're all worrying about whether they're going kill you, and all you're doing is painting a big bull's-eye of your head"

"I couldn't just sit back and do nothing" Morgan said, closing the front door and going over to his fire place "Besides, what difference does it make?" Morgan sipped his drink "They cut everything important out of the interview"

"It's still enough" Arthur said.

"It's important to me that you leave" Morgan said, looking into the fire "I need some rest, a lot of rest" He said to himself.

"All I'm asking is that you're careful" Arthur said, he walked over to the fire and put his hand on Morgan's shoulder, who jumped lightly "For Sabrina's sake"

"Sabrina" Morgan smiled "Sabrina is a wonderful baby… a mysterious baby" Morgan mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"It's like she sees through people, knows them as soon as she looks at them" He looked up to the clock above the mantle piece, which ticked ominously in the dimply lit room. It was Ten O'clock. "Are you going to go now?" Morgan asked.

"I'm worried about you" Arthur said staring into the flames as well "We all are" The sparks of the fire spat out and landed on Arthur's shoe, he looked down and shook them off, stepping on them to extinguish the embers. Morgan swallowed and walked backwards, slumping loudly onto his sofa, and sighing deeply.

"I feel old" He said, gruffly "Like I've been living for longer than I should" Arthur said nothing to this, and instead took off his jacket and draped it over a chair, he then sat beside Morgan and nodded.

"I feel fat" He said. Morgan looked across at him. "I've put on a lot of weight since Gevvy was born…man, I used to weigh about one hundred and eighty pounds, I've gained like sixty. I wonder if it has anything to do with this alien thing… or maybe the pains of fatherhood"

"What are you doing?" Morgan asked, laughing lightly.

"I'm trying to have a conversation" Arthur smiled "A normal conversation"

Morgan laughed loudly "I feel like my perception of normal has changed somewhat. Hasn't your's?"

"I don't know. Perhaps everyone's perception of normal changes with the experiences they go through" Arthur said "I can't count the number of strange things that have happened to me, us…my whole family"

"It came on quite suddenly" Morgan said, eating the olive in his drink.

"Not ten months ago, about this time. I was leaving for a grand opening celebration for my Casino… it was my birthday as well"

"My wife died a year ago today" Morgan said. Arthur looked across suddenly, then down to his hands, which were moving uncomfortable.

"…I don't know what to say" Arthur said.

"Sorry?"

"Heh. I've been saying that a lot lately" Arthur chuckled "I'm all sorried out I'm afraid"

"Aww well" Morgan smiled.

There was along silence in that room, Morgan sighed, and closed his eyes. He was nervous about something, he glanced at the clock from time to time, as if he was waiting for something.

"Lets go out tomorrow, for a breakfast" Morgan said suddenly "Tomorrow morning. Early. Around six-ish"

"That is early" Arthur said, raising an eyebrow "Why not nine, or-"

"It has to be six" Morgan said sharply "It can't be any later…please"

"Okay" Arthur nodded, surprised "Six O'clock…may I enquire as to why?"

"It's breakfast" Morgan said quietly "It's the most important meal of the day"

"I'll be going then" Arthur said, picking up his coat. Morgan jumped up and rushed to the front door, and opened it, politely. Arthur looked at him for a moment before walking through the door and putting his hands firmly in his pockets.

"Six O'clock" Morgan said.

"Six O'clock" Arthur repeated. Morgan closed the front door, and watched out the window as Arthur walked back towards his house; Morgan closed his eyes, and took a big drink. He placed the glass on the mantle piece and went upstairs, peeping into Sabrina's room to see if she was asleep. He then went back down stairs and sat down on his sofa, pulling is knees to his chest and sighing deeply, staring into the fire with a look of anguish on his face.

_Knock Knock_

Sabrina started crying, the crying didn't stop. The hours passed, two O'clock, three O'clock, four o'clock, five o'clock … the crying continued. A new shadow hung over everything in the house, as the sun's rays shone through the slats of the wooden blinds they crept across the still face of John Morgan. The house remained still, with the echoing sound Sabrina's cries. It was going to be a dark day, the end of something that wasn't finished.

_OMG writing that death scene was so hard, not only cos I'm a bit shit, but because I didn't want dear John Morgan to die! He has alittle baby daughter for god sake!_


	6. A Celadon Ceremony

Here's another chapter… the chapter was originally VERY short, so I included a section of part 2 of the novel, where is says "many years later" is where its supposed to split

_Here's another chapter… the chapter was originally VERY short, so I included a section of part 2 of the novel, where is says "many years later" is where its supposed to split._

It was difficult to say who discovered the body first, a neighbour complaining about the noise of the baby crying. A burglar. Maybe a distant relative coming to pay a well deserved visit. But no, Morgan had no one, Sabrina, his in-laws in Saffron. A baby and two seventy year olds who resented him deeply for the death of their daughter. How Morgan died was said to be choking to death on a wooden toothpick, which everyone believed to be true, the people of Kanto, believing everything they're told to believe. Arthur, for one, did not believe it. He turned up at six O'clock, as he had promised only to discover two paramedics, chucking someone into the back of the ambulance, with little care. He didn't ask any questions, instead he went inside the house and went upstairs, a still look on his face. The door to the nursery opened slowly and quietly, Arthur looked round a corner and crept to the side of the crib, where a little baby girl had cried her self to sleep.

"What's going to happen to you now?" Arthur asked, taking hold of her and looking at her closely, her eyes opened suddenly, and gazed wide-eyed at the unfamiliar face. She was studying him, looking into his eyes to see whether she could trust him, or not. "What going through you're head right now?" Arthur asked, tilting his head slightly, looking further into Sabrina's eyes.

He carried her back home, where Gina was surprised to see the absence of Morgan, and when told about the upsetting news…

"Fuck!" She shouted, combing her fingers through her hair frantically "I knew it, I fucking knew it. We should never have gotten involved, it was a stupid idea, and it's got two people killed, and now we have another funeral to arrange, and Sabrina… ooh, fuck!"

"Gina. First off I want to congratulate you at how well you're taking this, then I want to ask you to stop swearing in front of the minor" Arthur indicated the young girl in his arms, who was currently staring up in awe at the hectic state Gina had worked herself into. "Everything will sort itself out"

"Your best friend just died!" Gina stopped moving and breathed out heavily "You're being psychopathically calm"

"I'm upset" Arthur said "But now is really not a time to be panicky, we have a lot of stuff to sort out" Gina had tears in her eyes. She bit her bottom lip and sniffed loudly, taking Sabrina from Arthur and placing her on bony hip.

"What is she going to do?" Gina asked, staring at the curious girl, who was looking at everything in the room, studying it carefully "I guess her grandparents in Saffron will have to take care of her" Gina sighed, in her mind she was hoping that she would grow up with young Giovanni, get to know each other, be friends, close friends, husband and wife, one day, her mind wandered, she was now thinking of the type of wedding dress the adult Sabrina would look best in, she blinked once and returned to reality, where both Arthur and Sabrina were looking at her in a strange way.

"I do apologise" Gina said, handing Sabrina back to Arthur and hurrying to the living room where she sat on the couch heavily and leant her head gracefully onto the armrest, she wasn't crying anymore, but something set over her. She had changed. There was a time where the death of a friend and the idea of an orphaned child would be to much for her to handle. She had grown up with a helping hand through everything, even the effects of death had been softened, no deaths in the family, ever, great grandparents still alive and well. But two of her husband's best friends dead, within a year, murdered no less.

"It's a lot to take in" Arthur said, from the door way.

"What happened to me?" Gina asked, a sad expression on her perfect face.

"Well" Arthur said "You've adapted"

"Adapted to death" She said grimly "That's not healthy"

"Yes it is" Arthur kneeled carefully on the floor next to Gina's head and began stroking her hair "Especially for what we plan to do"

"You're joking" Gina said, sitting up quickly, looking at her husband "Not now, not when the risk is so great, we have a family, Arty"

"Yes, we have a family" Arthur stood up "And I don't want it to live in a world where slavery and pit fights are a common occurrence" Arthur left the room again, heading to the kitchen, no doubt. Fix himself a snack. Gina looked at the floor and sighed deeply again.

She didn't want to change. She liked things they way they were.

The funeral was calm, unnoticed really. A sunny day, most unlike the weather during Parker's funeral. An autopsy was allowed this time, and they had indeed found a tooth pick lodged in his throat, a small three inch piece of wood was the apparent cause of death of one of Arthur's few remaining friends. It couldn't have been. Arthur had thought about it long and hard, at first he was certain it was foul play, then he was almost certain. As days went on he found himself less and less able to believe it, he wanted to believe the easy thought. An accident. Accidents happen every single day, why would it not be likely?

The sun was setting, very early. The pink rays shone through the clouds and illuminated the graveyard with a thin wash of rose-coloured light. Arthur's attention never left the headstone which read 'loving father and husband', with a sudden, almost disrespectful sound Arthur's attention finally changed, his eyes quickly turned to a brand new Devon Arc-ao, a pristine white convertible which was beautifully out of place in the ever darkening graveyard, out of the car came three figures. The driver, and two 'mourners' who stepped out almost in unison with each other, one of them was a tall man, who's eyes were covered by the pitch-black shades, the other wore no eye protection and looked more interested than upset at the small gathering. Arthur walked impatiently up to the tall one, who looked like a powerful man, and said:

"Who are you?"

"Me and my associate used to work with Jonathan Morgan" The tall figure took off his glasses and smiled charmingly "This here is Professor Warren Ivy, and I am Professor Samuel Oak"

"Oak?" Arthur asked, nodding "What the hell are you here for?"

"To pay my respects, give my apologies" Oak sighed deeply "I have a confession to make-" He sighed again "I was the one who, unfortunately got him fired from his previous job at Silph, and I only wish to now apologise, and give my hopes that he finds safe passage to wherever the dead go, how did he go Ivy - Toothpick was it?"

"Yes, sir" Ivy said, nodding.

"Ugh" Oak sighed again and started shaking his head, biting his bottom lip slightly "With a baby girl, and his wife dying not so long ago"

"He mentioned you to me" Arthur said, unconvinced.

"He did" Oak looked up, smiling slightly "Nothing good I suppose, probably held a bit of a grudge"

"A bit if one" Arthur said "I saw you on TV, with him, actually"

"Oh yes, that" Oak, breathed in heavily "Morgan was on anti depressants at that time, and he actually approached me after the interviews and wished to apologise for his rash behaviour"

"Then why did they show his footage, if he didn't mean any of it?" Arthur asked scowling ever so slightly.

"I have my resources, friend, but I have no control over what the media thinks as good TV, plus I'm sure others are thinking like him, and we are simply putting their minds to rest" Oak coughed slightly "Now, is this really the right time for all these questions…uh?"

"Arthur Blazer"

"Arthur Blazer, Arthur Blazer" Oak nodded, thinking for a moment "You own the Game Corner, don't you?"

"I do at that"

"What an interesting profession, always had a keen eye for gambling" Oak smiled slightly, before sniffing and biting his bottom lip again "What say we walk back up to his grave, shall we? Looking over these Gravestones, ich, it makes me so miserable. Poor souls"

They trotted back to the group, where Oak managed to make a face that looked like he had so much anguish inside of him; Oak had a way with manipulating fake emotion. His powerful eyes and his handsome smile had an effect on everybody; he was charming, had a wonderful manner and was a lovely person to have a conversation with over dinner. But nevertheless, he felt nothing, for anybody or anything.

"He'll be sorely missed" Oak said, as the sun sunk behind a grassy hill.

_Many years kater._

The band started playing a traditional Kantolian melody that always made people think of only one thing: Marriage. Hayden smiled her sweet smile as she marched down the isle holding her flowers tightly to her breast, breathing slowly but controlled. Five years ago she had been sleeping on the streets, underneath a moss covered, wooden cart. She smiled slightly at the memory, what changes she had been through, a house, and a company even a small baby girl. And now… a husband. She smiled even wider this time, holding the bouquet like it was her dear Baby daughter, Erika. Her mother's name. The music stopped and she looked up, and through the misted vision of her veil she could see the vicar, and to the corner of her eye, Kenneth, her husband to be. She blushed slightly to see he was staring at her, he smiled as she looked away. He had a masculine face, aged and natural like he had worked hard all his life. Quite to the contrary, he was Kenneth Weed his father being Joseph Weed, President of Silph, and pretty much ruler of Kanto. Much unlike his father he was a powerfully built man, tall; broad shouldered and well kempt, while his father was a small man, weedy in comparison and with an ever present, nervous smile on his face.

"I do" He said, sweeping his broad hand through his honeycomb hair, awaiting the words from his fiancée's lips.

"I do" She said, and they embraced for a passionate kiss.

What was his name? She asked herself as they left arm in arm down the isle. The man, the man who had changed her life, given her two thousand dollars to start a new, she had done as he had said. A business has got to start somewhere. She thought long and hard, maybe it was an angel, my guardian angel. These thoughts left her mind when she entered the car door of a long white Limo, she smiled widely and bounced firmly on the claret coloured seats, her new husband came in through the opposite door and smiled at her as the car drove off. He smiled at her again, indicating the a bottle of champagne presented nicely in an ornate silver ice bucket, with gold leaf handles and matching silver tray, with two tall sparkling glasses balanced on top of it. They both smiled and embraced for another kiss.

"Where are they?" Joseph Weed impatiently said, pursing his lips together to create a most unappetising face "It would not be unlike them to have their honeymoon right there in that back of that car"

"Stop fretting so, dear" Came the voice of his wife, a tall women, much taller than the appropriately named Joseph Weed. Her lips were full and her eyes were well decorated with assorted colours of makeup, her hair was tied up with a gem encrusted clip. She was a good twenty years younger than her husband, slim figured and overly top heavy, she was a trophy wife to be sure. Perhaps the most noticeable of features on Mrs. Weed wasn't her dress, her makeup, or even her bodily stature, it was a small creature with soft ginger fur covering it's body, she stroked it lovingly as it's six long, luscious furry tails hung down, swaying from side to side. Its eyes were closed for the moment, but it was certainly a well fed creature, plump and well groomed.

"Would you put that thing down" He took the creature from her, making it wake up in the process "It's an experimental model"

"I think it's adorable" She said, leaning over slightly to stroke it once more "My favourite! Plus, it goes well with my dress"

Nicky was her name, dim-witted to say the least bought up on the cash her mother and father could provide for her, and now, that her husband can provide for her. A never-ending cycle of rich guardians have occupied her, grown tired of her, divorced her or died on her. Either way, it mattered naught to her. She got the money she thought she deserved.

"You're a spoilt whore, and I'll not have you risking the burning down of this building" Joseph passed the agitated animal to a one of his assistants and continued to look outside for any sign of the limo. Joseph had prepared an elaborate dinner and evening for his son and his wife. Well, saying he planned it was a little extreme; his assistants were the one's who had planned it, organised it, even paid for some of it. A large hall was rented, white and red being the definite colour scheme, white sashes hung down in front of the large windows that were spaced across every wall in the room. In the centre was large buffet table with a giant ice sculpture of a strange bird like creature, but with the stature of a small human being. Around it was the food and drink and around the buffet table were the tables and chairs accommodating some very noticeable company. On one table there was Professor Ivy with his own wife and child, on the table next to him was a young noble from the Johto region called Madame Kayleigh Rogers, known to many as the infamous Madame 'Much-money', renowned for seclusion from most social gatherings, informing people that she needs nothing but her supreme wealth to help her prosper. She sat by her self. On the table next to her was Samuel Oak, chatting nicely to a group of fans, telling them about the wonderful species they're 'discovering' over at Silph and how they're already populating the world like any other animal. On the table next to his, was Arthur. Invited for some reason, being the wealthiest man in Celadon he had to be invited, and with him he brought His wife, his child, Mark and Holly. They sat, secluded from the rest of the guests, not in any obvious way, but just from they're silence and their disapproving manner of the entire escapade.

"Why are we here?" Arthur whispered to Gina, who was sitting still with her legs crossed, a fake smile on her lips.

"To be seen" She said, the smile never leaving her lips "To show the rest of the world that we're not social rejects…plus, so they don't suspect anything"

"They have no reason to suspect anything" Arthur said, looking round the chattering hall with a look of almost disgust. He couldn't believe he used to be like this, him or his wife.

"Meeeew!" Said the five year old happily, laughing incessantly at… something. His hair had grown in and was pitch black, light didn't even seem to reflect off it, it was like someone had moulded his hair out of industrial oil, it hung over his head like an umbrella made of liquorice. His eyes were still the bright auburn colour they always were, staring with a fascinated expression at everything. Though Giovanni was not the only thing that had changed through those five years, far from it. Holly was now pregnant with Mark's child, a boy, they had found out. She was three months into her pregnancy and was already looking bigger than Gina ever had. It was going to be a large boy, a very large boy. Mark and Holly were now living together in a large apartment on the outskirts of Celadon, on route seven. It was a nice place, but since moving out, Gina and Arthur had felt something empty in their own house, they liked having another adult (if you could call Mark that) in the house. Though Gina and Arthur had kept themselves busy, organising an anonymous online protest against the Pokemon Campaign. This had little effect on the production; so far fifty five creatures had been created and thirty seven of them had been sent into the wild to grow and breed. And no matter how many of them died in fights, fell ill or were seriously injured, no one could see that it was cruel, and pointless. It was like taking a step backwards in time, everyone had become savages, once again.

This point was supported by the introduction of the death penalty, a penalty which had been eliminated in the beginning of the fifth millennia. (In this world, time is judged by every thousand years, a name is given for each beginning of a new millennia, the current one being 'The Longer Years' named once again after the last President of Kanto, so far only five thousand years have passed since the introduction of this scheme, any moment of time before then has been forgotten through history) The penalty had been established again after a slaughter in Viridian, a whole family was murdered and the government (that is, Silph) decided that there was no punishment to harsh for the murderer. Since then, twenty two people have been put to death by gas chamber in the city of Viridian alone.

A car pulled up outside the white walls of the hall, the sun had set now and the ballroom lights could now be admired. Thousands of candle like bulbs all dimly glowing, hanging down from glass chandeliers, when the light shone through the glass it created a rippled light, which made the floor of the hall look like waves of fire and shadow. Out of the car came the happy bride and the happy groom. Both with smiles plastered on their faces. Arthur didn't rush to see the happy couple, none of the Blazer family did. Arthur wasn't invited to the ceremony, only to the party afterwards, he didn't even know who's wedding it was, he didn't really care.

"You make such a lovely couple" Came the voice of a relative, one that Hayden had never met before, none of her family had come to the wedding, they disowned her, and she knew exactly why. She left them there, she said no goodbye to them, she gave up her traditional ways, the ways her family had lived by for countless generations. She felt guilty, and she thought naming a child after her mother would ease that guilt. It didn't work. She felt happy, to be sure, a warm home, a loving family even her dream. Her perfume shop. She had it up and running, selling perfume and flowers by the trolley load. She wondered though, why do people buy from her now? It's the same produce. The same person selling it. The only thing that remained from her days on the street: the confusion of why people judged her so when all she was trying to do was bring beauty into the world.

She smiled politely at all the people that wished her well, but then her eye caught someone familiar, someone who was standing at the buffet table nibbling vigorously at the shrimp. She rubbed her eyes at the sight. It was him. She thought to her self and left her husband's side who turned around surprised. She rushed over to her father-in-law's side where she pointed to Arthur and whispered a question in his ear.

"Who is that man?" She asked.

"Oh, my dear, um…" he was taken by surprise and it took a few moments for him to get his focus. When he did he raised an eyebrow "I believe that's Arthur Blazer, he runs the casino here in Celadon" Joseph's attention quickly turned to another guest, who was complimenting him on the wonderful festivities.

"Hello" Hayden said politely, standing beside Arthur at the buffet table. Hayden had changed a lot: in dress, appearance and manner. She was doubtful that he would even recognise her. When he turned his head, his eyes went wide and exhaled slightly, in disbelief.

"What on earth are you doing here?" He said, putting the shrimp back on the table and wiping his hands clean on a napkin. She looked at him for a second before answering, to her, he didn't seem as glamorous as the first time she had seen him.

"I'm the bride, weren't you at the ceremony?" she laughed.

"Actually no, I wasn't" he walked over to the punch bowl and poured himself a good glass full.

"Oh" She looked away for a second. He didn't seem surprised; she had gotten married to a strong political figure after living as a vagrant for twenty years.

"Who's the groom?" He asked, looking up briefly, before taking a big drink. When he heard the answer, he almost spat it back out. He placed the cup on the buffet table and dragged Hayden to an unoccupied table, where he looked at her with slightly intimidating eyes.

"Kenneth Weed? The President of Silph's son?" He rubbed his eyes. Placing a hand on Hayden's. "He was the one who suggested bringing the death penalty back into use"

"So?" Hayden asked "It's done some good if you ask me. The streets of Viridian are much safer and much cleaner thanks to his new outlook on crime. And I tell you Viridian really should be rid of everything violent, it has the best university in Kanto and having half its students murdered every year doesn't give it the name it should have"

"I went to Viridian University" Arthur shook his head "His father was one of the creators of the Pokemon Campaign, as a gypsy, a naturalist… you can't possibly support what they're doing"

"Shut up" Hayden said, half whispered, she looked around briefly to see if anyone had over heard "No one knows what I used to be"

"Used to be?" Arthur said "Did that money change you so much?"

"For the better"

"…If you say so" Arthur said, letting Hayden's hand go.

"And as for the Pokemon… they're well treated, and do what they're made to do. I honestly don't see anything wrong with them" Hayden said, adjusting her wedding ring, and smiling at the sight of it.

"Why are you so blind?" Arthur said calmly "Everyone is so…blind"

"Why?" Hayden asked "Maybe we're not blind, Arthur, maybe you're delusional… do you even remember my name?"

"Hayden" He said, sighing "Hayden Erika Applebaum"

"Hayden Erika Weed" Hayden corrected.

"Slavery" Arthur said suddenly "Slavery was abolished, what, in the third millennia? Goodness, that was cruel…tell me Hayden, what are your views on slavery? I mean, it still happens in some parts of this world, in fact, nearly every part of this world"

"I think it was cruel, as you said" Hayden looked slightly confused.

"Gladiators, gladiatorial battles….held even longer ago, before time even recognises, what are your thoughts on that?"

"Pointless violence" She said.

"Yet, when an animal does it… when an animal is caught and shoved into a tiny four inch ball being fed through tubes into it's stomach, giving only the nutrients it needs… being summoned and un-summoned at someone's will. Forced to fight another one of its kind, until they're unconscious or possibly dead… that's not cruel at all"

"They feel next to no pain, and they have those healing injections-"

"Yes. Those healing injections. Those miraculous healing injections, that cause extreme pain and neural damage on humans, but on Pokemon, they're fine with it. It's injected into they're bone marrow, to increase the immune system and increase the speed of regeneration… without sedation"

"It doesn't hurt"

"How do you know?"

"I was assured"

"By who? Your husband… your father-in-law, that psycho over there?" he indicated to Professor Oak's table, where he was happily showing off sketches of a new Pokemon.

"Professor Oak is not a psycho!" Hayden said "He is a charming, caring man"

"Yes. He certainly looks it doesn't he" Arthur said, staring at him with hate filled eyes.

"I just came over to say thank you" Hayden said, getting up from her chair "Please don't tell anyone what I used to be"

"I won't" Arthur said, getting up as well.

"You're entitled to your opinions Arthur" Hayden said, embracing him "But I'm not your child. I am forever grateful for what you've done for me…"

"The pleasure was all mine" He said quietly.

Arthur wasn't sure if he liked this new Hayden, she had changed so much it was hard to really see the sweet gypsy girl underneath the white dress and expensive jewellery. Arthur was very sure of one thing though, she wasn't going to help him with his 'mission' as he had christened it. She was tricked by the noble life style, as most people would be. As soon as you're rich, what use are morals? What use are beliefs? Arthur went back to his original table, where Gina was staring at him with an unimpressed expression, obviously having watched the entire conversation between Hayden and himself.

"A little bridesmaid on the side, Arty?" Gina said, her eyes never leaving his.

"A friend. And the actual bride, as well" Arthur said as he seated himself back down.

"A friend?" Gina asked "Where did you meet her?"

"On the streets" He said "She used to be a Gypsy girl, I gave her some money and so on and so on-"

"And then you had sex didn't you?" Gina asked, staring down at her empty plate, wearing an upset face.

"No" Arthur sighed "We didn't"

Gina was the very jealous type, even if Arthur was not exactly someone to be jealous about, an increasingly large, grey haired man. Powerfully built, and unshaved. He had the face that looked rugged, even if the body didn't quite match it. A face that was obviously handsome some years ago. While Gina, Gina was still thin, almost skeletal thin. Obsessed with her figure and her looks, and how other people looked at her. Long auburn hair that was slightly curled to give it a waving effect, long thin legs, displayed nicely by her dress and a beautiful face, harsh and well chiselled, with a sharp nose and prominent cheek bones.

"I believe you" Gina said, draping an arm around her husbands neck and kissing his cheek. Arthur looked confused for a moment, before noticing the empty bottle of wine on the table.

"Gina… you don't eat, and you drink like, well, someone who drinks a lot" Arthur stroked her hair "You're being very unhealthy"

"I eat plenty" She said, sitting back onto her chair, sighing. "Holly and Mark are dancing"

"Dancing?" Arthur asked, looking across the ballroom floor to try and see them. In the centre of the room were Holly and Mark, dancing their troubles away. It seems Holly's pregnancy had little effect on her energy.

"How does she do that?" Gina asked, leaning her head on Arthur's strong shoulder "I never had that much energy, especially when I was pregnant"

"She's younger than you were" Arthur said "A little too young as well, twenty three years old…pregnant" Arthur shook his head.

"Oh, shut up Arthur, it's what they wanted" Gina said, slightly slurred "Plus… nope, nope… thought I had something to say"

"Gina I think we should go soon" Arthur said.

"But what about them?" Gina pointed to happy dancing couple "We can't just leave them"

"We're not their parents" Arthur said "They can come and go when they like, how they like"

"Roar!" Giovanni shouted jumping out from under the table "I scared you!"

"Come on Gevvy" Arthur said, getting up and taking Giovanni's hand. He sighed deeply and looked at Hayden one more time "Congratulations"

_Meh, not a lot really happens in this chapter… its all character building really…_


End file.
